She's no Angel
by IssBenji
Summary: Sophie Thompson has the weight of the world on her shoulders. She's hellbent on killing her father, but when a group of demons appear and throw a wrench in her plans, she has to work twice as hard to accomplish her goal. When she expresses the desire to die as well, will the demons oblige or get in her way? Rated M for cursing, violence/gore/suicidal themes, and sexual themes
1. Chapter 1

When life gives you lemons, one will often tell you to make lemonade. But me? I realized how much I hate lemons.

…

I woke after yet another restless slumber. The drafts that came through the walls in the shack I called home became bothersome, but I figured it'd be more trouble than it was worth to fix. After all, I wouldn't be in this place much longer.

Reluctantly I rose, sitting before my small wardrobe I'd gotten for free from Craigslist and brushing my hair with the same hairbrush I'd had since I was sixteen. Sure, I could get a new one that didn't have any bristles missing, but in all honesty I'd still use the old one out of habit. I pulled back the pale blonde, wavy hair that tumbled past my shoulders, securing it in a ponytail. I adjusted my bangs slightly, making sure the slightly longer strands wouldn't find themselves stabbing my green irises at some point later in the day.

I was out the door less than fifteen minutes later.

At five fifty-seven in the morning, I sat sipping tea that was just a bit too sweet as the tak-a-tak of the keys of my Chromebook were drowned out by the latest Broadway musical soundtrack blasting through knockoff Apple earbuds. When someone sat across from me, at exactly six o'clock, I couldn't help but giggle to myself.

"And the ever-punctual Star Editor makes his appearance." I said, pulling out my earbuds. "How are things, Mr. Stephen Bennett?"

"Things would be better if you discussed things with the press beforehand. You could have mentioned you had official movie graphics several months ago when we began printing." he said, grouchy as ever.

"Well, they could have listened to me when I told them I only wanted to release fifty copies with the official graphics. I offered to hand-sign each one, too."

"Well, Miss Anne Phoeis, I will be sure to make the printers aware of your offer. May I have the graphics and a written-"

I slid an envelope and a USB drive to him. "Both physical and digital, so nobody can complain."

He smiled. "If you made my job this easy all the time, I wouldn't be balding."

"Ah, but that would be no fun. You love me because I'm as asshole."

Angela, our regular morning server, greeted Stephen with his typical mug of plain black coffee. I smiled at her, offering her a hug before sitting back in my seat.

"So, what gender do you want it to be?" I asked.

"Well, I found out it's a boy at my last ultrasound."

"Oh!" I exclaimed, drawing slight attention to our table from the drowsy morning crowd. "Do you have a name?"

"No, not yet-"

"Baxter Ray Antin."

Angela looked at me, her soft, brown eyes squinted slightly. "How long have you been contemplating a name?"

"Ever since you told me you were pregnant. I would have suggested a girl's name be Elizabeth Mae."

She brushed her short, jet black hair behind her ear. "You and my husband are both like that."

I laughed. "Well, I do appreciate how well he cut your bob."

My editor cleared his throat. "Is this all for today, Miss Phoeis?"

"Oh, Stephen's mad." I turned to Angela, a twenty-dollar bill in my hand. "Keep the change."

She left with a smile and I turned back to my editor.

"The premiere is in a few days, so these need to be approved by tomorrow if they want to make an appearance there."

Stephen stood. "Yes, I understand full well the crunch you've forced us into." he pulled on his overcoat. "I will discuss how things go with the publisher at a later date."

"See ya, Steph." I said, waving him off. I closed my Chromebook and slammed back the rest of my tea, the sugar leaving a slight coating on my mouth.

…

I yawned as I strolled down the street, and just as I became aware of a barking noise, I was knocked back by a massive ball of floof. Wetness covered my face and arms, and only after the floof monster had been corralled by its owner did I see my Chromebook sitting shattered beside me.

"Ah, that sucks." I said, petting the dog. I looked up to the owner, who held him by the collar, and I was surprised to see another blonde person looking back at me.

"Are you okay?" the owner asked, reaching out his hand.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I said, grabbing my laptop and standing without his hand. It was only after I stood that I noticed a man with black hair and glasses behind him.

"Oh dear. I'm so sorry! Your laptop is completely ruined." the blonde man said, observing the nasty crack on the outside shell. He turned to the man beside him. "Shiki. Give her the laptop."

I looked to the black haired man, who held a sleek-looking box in his hands.

The blonde man spoke again. "Allow me to apologize for Cerberus."

As the name fell upon my ears I felt as if I had been transported back to my sophomore year of college, and I felt the wisdom of a thousand gods flow into me as I remembered how the one course on greek myth inflated my ego so much I felt as if I could discuss the sacred tales until the end of time.

I looked down to the dog, who was admittedly rather large. "Well, Spot, I must say you definitely caught me off guard."

"Come on, Shiki. Hurry up." the blonde man said, ushering his companion towards me.

The man did not say anything, and would not meet eyes with me as he plopped the box in my hands.

"Oh, uh, you guys don't need to do this. Really." I said.

The black haired man finally looked at me. "Just take it." he said.

I looked down at the graphic on the box, and as I turned it over to see the specs, I nearly fainted. "Oh, my god. This is Prada's i9 refresh model. This laptop is literally six grand, considering it has the official mouse and the fancy leather case." I held the laptop out to the blonde haired man. "If this is just full of rocks and I'm being filmed for YouTube or something, that's cool and all, but I don't really want to carry around rocks."

"No, really, it's the newest edition of Prada's X Elite line. Please, take it. It's a gift from me to you."

I looked at the man, seeing if I could recognise him from any of the sporadic prank videos I watched, but as I gazed at him I had a strange thought. "You're not Haruhito Amano, are you?"

The man seemed surprised, a bright smile taking over his face. "So you know me! Yes, I am the owner of Prada, Haruhito Amano."

I wondered how the hell I had encountered this person and his dog just so happened to pick me to pummel, but as I felt the weight of the box in my arms I came back to my senses. "This is totally amazing, and I'm not trying to sound ungrateful or anything, but I don't have a reason to use this. I'm not in need of a laptop anymore, really. It'll sit in the box for the rest of its life."

The two men seemed to be getting a bit annoyed.

"Well, considering it is my gift to you I cannot tell you what to do with it, but I will not take it back." Haruhito smiled. "Enjoy the laptop, Miss."

I looked down at the laptop, contemplating whether or not just to keep it to make my life easier, but as I looked up to try one last time to return the ridiculously expensive and overpowered laptop to the owner, they were nowhere to be seen.

"...Today is starting off interestingly, to say the least." I said to myself, looking at the abundance of black feathers on the ground.

...

Close to noon, dawned in graduation robes I paid way too much money for and I cap I spent way too much time decorating, I arrived at the college campus I had spent the previous years of my life studying at. As the pre-summer ceremony began, I found myself standing behind the podium, clutching my diploma as several camera flashes for irrelevant local newspapers tried to get a good shot. I began as any valedictorian speech would.

"Hello, my fellow graduates. Many of you may not know me, but as I survey the sea of faces before me, I can only see many who I know will accomplish great things. In the many, many years I spent earning my PhD., I wondered if this piece of paper was worth it. I wondered if my field of study would lead me to success. I wondered if the tears, the all-nighters, and the excessive weight I gained from fast-food would be something I could look upon fondly. And I am here to tell you, my fellow graduates, that your degree may only be a stepping stone in your success. I hope your chest swells with pride knowing the work you put in, but never forget that there is always room to learn. There is always room to grow. And, most importantly, there is always room to improve. I wish you luck on your journey after post-secondary education, and though navigating college seemed tough, we will face many, many more challenges in the world that lie outside this campus. Never stop learning, my fellow graduates, and never forget what guides you. Hold onto your purpose and your drive, and never let go. Chase your dreams with the ferocity and hunger of a rabid flame. Laugh like it's the last time you will ever do so. Live knowing that you've accomplished something great already, and strive to be better than the person you are today." I smiled, looking up to the lights that shone down on me. "Good luck, graduates: we did it. Thank you."

A roar of clapping and light cheering came over the crowd as I descended from the stage back to my seat, and for the rest of the night I simply admired the journeys each person had to travel to share the same stage as me.

Absolute pandemonium swallowed the vicinity after the ceremony ended, and I definitely didn't feel like fighting my way through a crowd thicker than molasses, so I simply rested in my seat and intended to wait until the buzz of students and their families subsided. I was interrupted, though, by someone speaking to me.

"Sophie Thompson?" a masculine voice called.

I looked to the person before me, clad in graduation robes with an honor cord around their neck. They had brown hair and brown eyes, and through their robes I caught a glimpse of a tie clip in the shape of a skull.

"Can I help you?"

The man smiled. "My name is Kakeru Kamui. I'd like to ask if you have any plans for this afternoon."

I was confused. "I do, actually. Why are you asking me this?"

"Cancel your plans. I'd like to take you out to a movie and dinner tonight."

"...Excuse me?" I said, standing. "I'm not cancelling my plans for you. I don't even know you."

Kakeru held my hand in his, looking into my eyes. "I'd love to get to know you better."

I shook off his hand, disgusted. "I'm sorry, I said no. I'm not going out with you."

He seemed to take offense. "What did you just say to me?" he said, becoming angry.

It was then I spotted my saving grace, and I called out to them. "Eli!" I called, grabbing the man by the arm. I kissed his lips, smiling as I said, "I missed you, Love. Come on, let's get out of here before this creep tries to hit on me some more."

Eli smiled, pulling me by the waist. He shot a glare back at the creep, who seemed confused, and I simply tried harder than I imagined I would have needed to in order to prevent bursting out in laughter. Once in my car, I erupted in belly-aching, bellowing howls as Eli sulked.

"Why does the hot transfer student hit on you on graduation night? I was gunning hard for him." Eli whined, his elbow sticking slightly out of the lowered window.

"Oh, was that the hotshot transfer student everyone was talking about? I was in such a caffeine-fueled daze I couldn't do much else but work on my thesis." I pulled him in close, saying, "This morning, you won't believe it, I got the i9 Prada X Elite because the owner's dog knocked me over and destroyed my Chromebook. I'm living to make you jealous today."

"Huh?" he exclaimed. "You slip under the radar from all the hot guys your whole life, and all of a sudden you're attracting them just to make me jealous? You're supposed to be my best friend!"

"Oh, relax you drama queen. I'm ninety-nine percent sure the guy was just wearing silicone inserts and giving people boxes of rocks. The boxes for those are being sold for like thirty dollars, so two or three to make a video and he'll make his money back if he's popular." I said, pulling my hair from its ponytail and letting it fall down my back.

Eli eyed me as I checked if I was clear, and as we began to cruise down the highway he rolled up his window. "So, nine o'clock sharp tonight?"

I smiled. "At the usual place."

After dropping Eli off I made a quick change of outfits at his house, grabbing a sleek black jumpsuit I had left there several days earlier and borrowing some of his gold jewelry. I slipped on a pair of black, strappy heels with a small gold buckle.

"Oh Lord, your cleavage!" Eli exclaimed, covering his eyes in an over exaggerated gesture. "Slay me now, queen!"

I rolled my eyes. "What do you suggest for hair? I'm going natural on makeup for the most part, but a minor contour just to look a little bit like I tried, you know?" I said, leaning over his makeup counter and applying a primer to my skin.

"I'll do your hair if you allow me to be in charge of eyeliner, lashes, and highlighter." he said, spraying my hair with something and running his fingers through it.

"You're the one that went to cosmetology school. I'll leave it to you." I said, beginning to blend the pigments.

I surveyed myself in the mirror, and as I glanced at Eli admiring his work, I felt inclined to ask a question. "Did I surprise you earlier?"

The look of pride faded from his face. "Honey. I've known you for fourteen years, and I've seen you naked more times than I can count on two hands. Nothing you ever do will surprise me."

I smiled. "Love you, Eels."

He smiled back. "Love you too, Soph."

…

The camera flashes were only slightly more bothersome than the ones at my graduation earlier in the day. They were much more frequent, but I had expected there to be a bit more hounding from reporters. Surprisingly, I had a bit of room to breathe.

The final celebration before the launch of my movie had amassed a larger crowd than I had anticipated, however, and in order to spare my fellow actors and other assistants I took it upon myself to leave from the front. They jumped at the opportunity to slip through the back, avoiding the paparazzi.

"Miss Thomson! Miss Thomson! Please, just a moment! How do you feel about your upcoming movie Iridescent? Do you feel it is a suitable adaptation of Anne Phoeis's recently released novel?" a silver haired reporter asked.

I met his eyes, and I felt as if he was either a brand new paparazzi interviewer, or that he was putting on an act. He wasn't as pushy as the real press, and I personally felt he was imitating the soft goons portrayed in movies.

I smiled. "Well, as we obviously couldn't draft, script, cast, shoot, edit, and final cut this movie in a mere six months, I assure you the events of the movie will accurately reflect the suspense and drama of the book while also providing an extra cut that the author did not have the opportunity to place in her book. We have worked closely with Miss Phoeis, and I can assure you that while the book has many instances of fabrication, our movie release will be the unadulterated, true story of someone very close to Miss Phoeis."

The reporter reached into a bag of his, offering an envelope. "Miss Thompson, we at Daily Mail would like to give you-"

I walked away from him, calling over my shoulder, "Sorry, kid. I don't accept things from press."

A valet opened the car door for me, and I blew a kiss at the cameras before the door closed and the car pulled away from the scene.

…

I figured since Eli took the time to do my hair and I was already dressed well, I'd invite him to dinner and allow him to catch a glimpse of the 'Charisma Chef' he had been swooning over for some time. As I waited for him to arrive, staring blankly into the Shirley Temple I had ordered several minutes prior, I heard a voice that made me want to shoot myself.

"So you decided to show up after all. Did you cancel your plans?" a certain Kakeru Kamui said, seating himself at my table.

I stared at him in disbelief. "Are you a stalker or something? Why are you here?"

He feigned hurt. "A stalker! I simply wanted to take you on a date to a nice rest-"

My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I didn't particularly want to be around a stalker so I stood and turned my back. "Eli, where are you? I've been here for fifteen minutes and now a stalker-"

"Miss Thompson." Kakeru said, standing directly behind me.

His arms wrapped around me, and for a brief moment, I wondered if I could be intimidated enough by him into being scared.

Kakeru took my phone from my hand, hanging up on Eli who could be heard yelling across the line. I felt rage boil in my chest at his entitlement, but just as I opened my mouth to give him a piece of my mind someone spoke up.

"Pardon me! Sorry to ruin the moment."

"You mind reading the mood a bit?" Kakeru hissed as he released me, adjusting his tie. It was different from the one he wore at graduation.

I turned to see the Charisma Chef in the flesh, holding something in his hands. "I've brought you a special cake creation! When I saw this fine lady, I had a flash of inspiration." The chef revealed the cake to me. "What do you think? I haven't felt this kind of inspiration in quite a while."

"A scythe is a bit of dark imagery for a white, fruity cake, isn't it?" I asked, somewhat caught up in the drama of the situation.

The chef leaned in close to me, whispering, "Well, when I caught glimpse of you, I simply wanted to reap your heart with a scythe."

I recalled a similar line etched somewhere deep within my memory, etched into the bio of the edgiest, cringiest MySpace walls of emo middle schoolers who were way too into the show 'The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy'. "That's… awful." I said, audibly.

Kakeru seemed to buy into it, obviously not hearing my comment. "Sorry, but I'll be the one harvesting her heart."

I slammed my hand onto the dining table, the glasses and tableware clinking loudly enough to catch the attention of the room. I removed it, leaving a fifty-dollar bill on the table. "I will be leaving now, gentlemen. Excuse me." I turned on my heel, the eyes of the restaurant on me, and I began to walk.

"Sophie, wait-"

I turned and glared one of the fiercest looks I could at Kakeru. "Do not follow me, you creep." Then, without another word from them, I left the restaurant.

…

I licked my fingers, brushing the pizza crust crumbs from my shirt as Eli loudly and drunkenly complained about how much he hated some contestant on Big Brother. His pizza box still had several slices in it, so before he could knock it over and cry about the grease stains on his new carpet, I packed it up and placed it in his fridge. By the time I returned, he was snoozing on the couch.

"Alright big guy, no more Rosé for you tonight." I said, recorking the bottle. I pulled him up onto his couch and turned off the TV, straightening up a bit before throwing my lazy clothes into his hamper and dressing myself with real people clothes before trekking home.

The clock showed about nine forty-five when I arrived home. I felt a bit bad about spiking Eli's Jell-O shots with higher alcohol content liquor, but I had a bad feeling about the upcoming event and I didn't want him getting caught up in something I couldn't protect him from. I moved to my closet, and as I pulled on the skin-tight black suit I wore for jobs, I felt something in my pocket.

I pulled out a letter, and its contents made me smile.

'In ten days, I will kill you.'

With the letter was an Ace of Diamonds.

"I'll be waiting." I said, folding up the note and putting back in my pocket along with the card. I slipped on a necklace with an attached USB drive, containing a deadly computer virus that ate terabytes of files in seconds. The second USB I kept in a secret pocket sewn into the combat boots I typically wore. That one was for stealing the important files before planting the virus. After grabbing a pre-packed black backpack from my foyer, I set off.

I parked my car almost a mile and a half from where I was supposed to be. Of the several cars in the lot none were especially close to me, and from what I could see nobody was near me. Each of the cars were empty, most of their riders taking advantage of the park-and-ride system. I had learned of the small section of corner spots to which the security cameras had no footage, and I took that to my advantage.

There was a small, forest like area surrounding the laboratory. I crouched in the brush, waiting until exactly five past ten when the last living person locked up the building. Once his car turned on and began its path down the restricted road, disappearing into the thick forest, I made my move.

One could say I dabbled in lockpicking, but I prefer to say I had a useful skill set that allowed me to accomplish the necessary functions of my job. The door opened with ease.

I had two functions in the laboratory. One was to snatch some files for a client who had his research stolen, and the second was to steal separate research for my own agenda. The first thing I needed to do was disable security cameras, and instead of sneaking into the security office I decided it would be much easier this time around if I just wore a mask that covered my face and hair.

I strolled through the halls, double-checking several bits on info from my client to make sure I grabbed the right things. Once I reached a specific door I was pleased to find it had been left unlocked, and I only needed to sift through a couple file cabinets to get what I needed. I shoved the client's files in my bag, and proceeded to the upper floor.

As I reached my destination I was displeased to find a biometric lock on the door. Obviously I didn't have the researcher's fingerprints, and I wasn't stupid enough to subject my own fingerprint to be recorded into their database. Instead, I took the lock apart using a screwdriver, and for the parts that didn't cooperate with me, a hammer.

The lock clacked on the ground, a gaping hole in the door from where the handle should have been. Lastly I unscrewed the lock frame, prying it out with my hammer, and the comedically long and thick lock clacked beside the biometric sensor.

I pushed open the door, observing the large monitor that had been turned off hours prior. I pulled the hard drive out from under the desk and powered it on, prompted to put in a password on the opening screen. I put in a couple passwords just to see if they worked, but the one that unlocked it was the one that had unlocked hundreds before. 'V340N!C4', which struck a bit in my heart.

The desktop opened to a disgusting amount of files, but I simply needed the files associated with 'The Sophie Project'. I copied the massive file onto my USB drive, ejecting it and tucking it safely back into my boot before uploading the destructive virus. I watched it's progress for a moment, catching glimpses of file names I now had stored in the drive I kept. I took this time to scoop out files from drawers and cabinets, shoving them into the bag I kept.

Sometimes I wondered if I did too much by blowing up the laboratories I robbed, but when I considered what research they did and for what purposes, I didn't mind all that much. I set the timer for five minutes, checking, double checking, and triple checking everything was done correctly before making my escape.

I stood outside the laboratory, nearly four minutes left on the timer, but just as I went to message my client that the job was complete, a familiar ball of floof bit my arm and began pulling me. Why the dog was there I didn't know, but from all the time I spent watching dog videos on Facebook, I knew that you followed them when they wanted you to.

Just as we reached the beginning of the forest, the building exploded with an intensity my explosives could never hope to reach. Glass shattered and rained down, structural pillars crumbling under the force of the blast. The entire building collapsed, and as the dust settled I wondered why the bomb went off after only ninety seconds.

"Thanks, Spot." I said, rubbing the dog's head. "But why are you here?"

"Aah, who messed up?" a masculine voice said. I eyed the person, and I couldn't help but think that I recognized him.

"Hey, what are you doing hanging around here?" another man asked, who I immediately recognized as Kakeru.

I contemplated the possibility that I had been watched and targeted by assassins, and that they tampered with my explosives.

"My plan is ruined thanks to you. You were supposed to be toast after that explosion." he said, walking towards me.

The first man approached me as well. "Blown to smithereens, burnt to a crisp… toast. Do you understand, Sophie Thompson?"

I recognized the first man as the Charisma Chef, and the likelihood of this being an assassination attempt shot up exponentially. I figured the owner of Prada and his friend would be involved, possibly using the laptop as a means to track me back home. I was not sure of anyone else who could have been involved.

"Sophie Thompson… you died in an explosion of your own doing while trying to infiltrate and destroy a laboratory. At least, that was the plan."

I turned to the new voice, and as I had expected, the owner of Prada had appeared. "Sorry, I'm not that easy to kill. Tampering with my explosives is a bit complicated though, no?" I said, watching as Cerberus made his way over and sat next to him.

"You really are an idiot, aren't you?" a new person said. I recognized him as the man who stood with Haruhito earlier. "Don't you get it? Just hurry up and get this over with so I can go home and sleep."

Kakeru laughed. "It's not just her that's an idiot, Shiki. It's the entire human population."

I pulled my mask from my face, returning it to its proper scarf-like function. "Well, I must admit that I didn't contemplate the idea of you all tailing my movements. I don't have much experience with groups of assassins, but I must admit I'm impressed."

Kakeru seemed insulted. "Get it through your thick skull, human. We're demons, and we're here to take your soul. Once we have your soul, we'll recycle it in to a new human. It's eco-friendly."

If the group before me hadn't been assassins, I would not have been able to contain my laughter. "Recycle… okay. Well, sorry to inform you, but I have some things I need to do so unfortunately your assassination today will end unsuccessfully. Though I'd be interested to know who hired you."

Kakeru raised his arm, and in an instant the flames disappeared.

I looked at him, as well as the others before me. A new, silver haired person stood out to me, who I recognized as the strange reporter. I turned back to Kakeru. "So you want me to believe that you're all demons and I was supposed to die?"

"You can't change destiny. We don't have the power to alter people's life spans." the reporter replied.

"We made you happy today. Aren't you satisfied?" Haruhito asked.

Kakeru didn't wait for my answer. "Let's get this over with. Stand still."

"Can you give me ten days?" I asked, my arms crossed over my chest. "You can have my soul or whatever after that. I just need ten days."

"Sorry." Kakeru replied, grabbing my wrist.

"Aw, come on. It couldn't hurt, right? Her time and cause of death have already changed. The angels are going to file a claim over this anyway." the reporter said, stepping closer to Kakeru.

"If we finish it now, no one will have to know about our mistake. I don't want to have to do this, but... Don't struggle. I'm going to take you to Heaven." Kakeru replied.

"Oh, this isn't what I expected would happen today." I said, looking at the men's faces.

The chef patted me on the head like I was a child. "Sorry. It's so sad to turn a pretty little thing like you in to toast."

The reality of the situation started to weigh on me, and a deep regret clawed at my heart. "Man, this sucks. I was so close to doing what I needed to do."

"You don't have to be so sad. The angels resurrect all the souls we collect in to new bodies. It's the circle of life." the chef continued.

I looked at his smile and felt a twinge of guilt. "...I guess we'll see about that."

"Ugh, will you just shut up already? Whatever, you're toast." Kakeru snapped.

"Yeah, we're only getting more off schedule by the second." Haruhito added, looking up at the sky.

"But wasn't your dog the cause if this, Haruhito?" the reporter asked.

"He's right. It's that dumb dog's fault our plan got messed up." the man who I believed to be named Shiki replied.

"Keep your voice down. The angels might hear us." the chef said.

The gears in my head started turning. "So, you're saying I didn't die because you made a mistake?" I asked.

Kakeru replied, "Yeah. This has never happened before. That dog messed it all up at the end. Why are you aski-"

"ANGELS!" I screamed.

"What do you think you're-"

"Angels! They messed up! I'm still alive!" I screamed.

"Cut it out! I don't want this to take any longer than it already has."

"Ange-mmph!"

"Are you trying to threaten us?" Kakeru snarled, his hand clapped over my mouth.

I bit his finger and his hand retracted from my mouth. "I'll do whatever it takes to finish this." I replied.

"She's got guts. I'll give her that." Shiki said.

"Even if we give you 10 days, that won't change that you're toast." Haruhito added.

"That's all I need. You can kill me after that."

"Why don't we just give her the 10 days? She said we can have her soul after that." the reporter said.

"We'd have to hide from Heaven that whole time, you know? There's no way we can hide a human for a whole 10 days." the chef replied.

"But..." the reporter protested.

"...Fine. I'll give you the 10 days. Just don't yell for the angels again. I hate angels. The last thing I want right now is a lecture from them. Plus..." Kakeru grabbed my jaw and forced me to face him. "A woman who makes a deal with a demon... For a human, you're pretty interesting."

I jerked my head back from him and said, "Don't touch me, you creep."

"Well, if Kakeru says it's okay then I won't say anything. This is your responsibility though." the chef said.

Kakeru pinched the bridge of his nose. "I know. We can't just have you wandering around, though. You're supposed to be dead. One of us is going to have to keep an eye on you for these 10 days. We'll be watching you 24 hours a day."

"Of course, that includes showering and sleeping." the chef added.

"Lay off, Satoru." Kakeru snapped. "Anyway, enough joking around. Pick who you want to watch over you. Sophie Thompson... Who do you want to watch over you?"

I looked back at the demons and asked, "Can I choose tomorrow? I need to secure my schedule. After that I'll choose whoever is most convenient."

"Whatever. Come on, we should get out of here before the angels come to investigate..." Kakeru said.


	2. Chapter 2

We arrived at a rather luxurious-looking house, and as I entered the living room from the foyer I was floored. There was a luxurious spiral staircase leading upstairs, and the large adjacent kitchen had abundant counter space and brand new appliances.

"Woah! You demons sure know how to live luxuriously." I said, stretching my arms out. "These next ten days just got a whole lot more exciting."

"Yes, and after that, you're toast." Kakeru said, loosening his tie.

"Aaand there's the party pooper, right on cue." I said, pointing my fingers at him and smiling. "So, I assume there's some lecture you all want to give me about how to act in the house and how restricted I'm going to be for the next ten days."

Kakeru rolled his eyes. "Well, you're supposed to be dead and we can't have any angels finding you, so you'll need to tell us by tomorrow who you want to watch over you. This means twenty-four hour surveillance outside the house."

"Oh, I need someone quick." I said to myself, plotting out the timeline of the days events. "I'm gonna get in a few fights, have a movie premiere, and I have to blow up another laboratory. Is that all okay?"

"What the hell? You threatened us just so you can do the same stuff you've been doing?" Shiki asked, visibly annoyed.

"Oh, don't get me wrong. I'm sure you all would have asked me anyway, so I'll just tell you. I need to stay alive for ten more days so I can kill my father." I said. "It's kind of a big thing, ya know?"

"Woah, that's not what I expected." Haruhito said. "Why are you trying to do that?"

"He's an evil man, and I need to destroy him and all of his research before he can hurt anybody." I looked to the men. "If I'm still alive for a certain amount of time after his research has been destroyed there's a chance that what he's trying to create will still be able to manifest, so I have no qualms about you men taking my soul."

The men looked shocked.

"So then, may I ask where you'll be sticking me for the next nine nights?"

They seemed to come to their senses, but I could tell they were wary of me. The silver-haired demon approached me, and I learned his name was Meguru. "Your room is upstairs. Please, follow me."

"My own room! I feel like royalty!" I exclaimed, following Meguru up the staircase.

He lead me into a small room with a bed, a dresser, a small table, and a desk. A small closet sat behind sliding doors. Meguru smiled, and began speaking.

"I just want to give you a general rundown so it makes your time a little easier. First off, there are two absolute laws in the Demon Realm. Number one, you cannot change the longevity of a human's lifespan. We're all breaking that rule, but as long as no angels or other demons find you it shouldn't be a problem. Second, demons cannot fall in love with a human. Typically we don't have the opportunity to, but if it happens it could lead the demon to attempting to prevent the human from getting toasted."

I nodded. "I see. Is there like a list or something you guys have? A hit list?"

Meguru laughed, a little uncomfortable with my phrasing. "We prefer to call it the 'Fate Database', basically it's a list letting demons know who is supposed to be toast. It's refreshed every ten days, and if any humans are lucky enough to avoid being caught by any demons or angels before then, their name is removed from the database. That carries bad consequences for anyone who was responsible for them, though."

"Well, it seems you all are very structured. Is there anything else I should know?"

"Oh, one last thing. Demons all have special powers. Shiki has mind control, Satoru can see human's futures, Haruhito guides souls to heaven, and lastly Kakeru can separate souls from bodies as well as head wounds."

"What about you?"

He looked uncomfortable again. "Well, I'm still in training so I haven't realized my power yet."

He was lying, but I figured it wasn't something I should pry about. I smiled. "Thank you, Meguru. If you don't mind, though, I'd like to go to bed now."

He jumped up, heading to the door. "Of course. Just tell me if you have any questions or anything. Good night."

"Good night, Meguru."

After the door closed I threw my bag in the corner, finally messaging my client that the project was a success and that due to an unexpected delay I would deliver his research in person the next day. He responded back with a thankful message and confirmation of the time and location of our meeting.

I scrolled on my social media for a bit, wondering how the hell it had come to this. For almost eighteen years I had only one goal in mind, and I was just ten days away from achieving it. As I drifted off to sleep, I wondered if my mother was proud of me.

…

9 Days Until I'm Toast…

...

I woke close to four in the morning out of habit. Since I no longer had my Chromebook I decided to make use of the space in the backyard, and set out to complete a training regimen I had been slacking on. In the shack I had previously called home I had no choice but to rely on a gym membership or other public outdoor areas to keep in shape, but of course the more flashy and dangerous moves were meant to be kept in a private space or a different controlled environment. Because I had the luxury to, I practiced those.

Of all the flashy moves often shown in animations or sometimes even action movies, my favorite was one where the attacker would kick their opponent in the chin, miraculously landing a backflip in the process. The aesthetic grace it was portrayed in as well as the beautiful athleticism was something that made me focus on learning the more acrobatic fighting moves, and I was thankful for the fountain, outdoor table, and well-groomed tree branches allowing me to practice my flipping, swinging, jumping, and soaring in the early hours of the morning.

After about an hour and a half I felt the slight sting in my muscles, and I decided I had done enough. I retreated back into the house, finding my way to the bathroom and turning on the shower.

I figured I'd have to either return home at one point to retrieve essential things such as my toothbrush and a change of underwear, but in the meantime I was content using the odd shampoo and conditioner the men had in their shower. By the time I emerged it was just before six in the morning, so I decided I would give the demons an incentive to be nice to me and make breakfast.

Just as I was cleaning up the last of the extra dishes, I could hear yawning from upstairs and the sound of footsteps approaching the staircase. I dried my hands, and just as the first demon entered the living room the rice cooker dinged.

"Good morning! Breakfast is almost ready." I chirped, opening the rice cooker and fluffing the steaming rice inside.

"You made breakfast, Sophie?" a sleepy voice asked, a certain silver-haired demon entering the kitchen and rubbing his eyes.

"Meguru! Yes, I had some extra time this morning and I just couldn't help but want to cook in this wonderful kitchen. I hope you all enjoy Japanese-style breakfast."

"Well, I like it, but most of the others prefer Western-"

"Something smells good, Meguru!" I heard Haruhito call from up the stairs. "I love the smell of miso in the morning!"

I began setting the table, giving each person a hefty portion of food as I may have gone a little crazy and made more food than I had originally planned. Haruhito reached the end of the staircase, and as he saw Meguru slightly confused and me setting the table, something seemed to click.

"Sophie, you made breakfast?"

"Yes I did. Since I don't really need to write anymore and pretty much all my movie work and book promotions are done, I have a ton of extra time in the morning." I smiled. "It's no problem, plus I really love that kitchen. I haven't been able to use one in awhile."

Haruhito smiled back. "Thanks, it looks great."

As I cleaned up the rice cooker and several other little things, the other demons slowly trudged their way into the dining room and all of them had the same reaction to learning I made breakfast. Eventually, one of them asked if I was going to join them.

"I don't eat much. I already finished a bowl of rice, that's enough for me."

"No wonder you're so thin!" Satoru exclaimed. "You know, men like to have something to hold on to."

"I don't really have much time to worry about getting laid, Satoru. I'm toast in nine days." I replied.

He appeared behind me, grabbing me by the shoulders. "Ah, come on! Lighte-"

My foot connected to his ribcage and he flew across the kitchen, skidding into the dining room. I covered my mouth in shock, wondering why the hell I wasn't able to control myself.

"Satoru!" Meguru exclaimed, jumping up from his seat and helping Satoru up. "Are you okay?"

Satoru sat up, laughing. "You surprised me, Sophie!"

"Ah, you can't sneak up on me like that!" I said, crossing my arms. "I'm trained to kill, for Christ's sake!"

Haruhito was laughing so hard he began to choke, and Kakeru seemed to be laughing as well. "She really got you, huh Satoru? A human!"

Satoru stood, and locked eyes with me. "How did you move so fast?"

"I told you, I'm trained to kill." I replied, resuming with the dishes. "Anyway, I need to be heading out soon. I have to meet with Eli, return some paperwork to a client, meet for final talks with my publisher, and I'd prefer to swing by my house so I can grab some clothes and a toothbrush and stuff." I wiped my brow, saying, "and honestly, whoever is the least busy should watch over me today. We'll be moving around a lot. And I'd also prefer someone who feels safe letting me be alone in a room with someone else. Eli, my editor, and my client will not allow unauthorized visitors."

"You sure are making things difficult for someone who is being allowed to live." Kakeru said, groaning.

"Well I asked to live because I have things to do, and I'm going to do those things whether you like it or not. So, who's coming? I'm leaving once all the breakfast plates are clean."

The men looked at each other, and eventually all landed on the same face.

"Great, Kakeru it is then." I said, beginning to pick up the empty plates. "Alright hotshot, I need to meet with my editor before ten, and Eli is gonna hate me for getting him drunk and leaving him out of yesterday's mission."

After a bit of complaining from Kakeru he clambered into my car and I took off towards Eli's house. As we pulled onto the freeway, Kakeru asked me a question.

"So is your boyfriend your partner-in-crime or something?" he asked, resting his cheek on his hand.

"First, Eli is gay and I kissed him so you would leave me alone. Second, he's my best friend and agreed to join this business with me because he wanted to make sure I didn't get hurt. He also knows that I want to kill my father, ultimately, and he's been gathering intel recently on what it will take."

Kakeru's brows twitched, and he looked at me angrily. "You really thought I was hitting on you, you brat!"

"Ooh, excuse me, but weren't you actually hitting on me to try and make my last, miserable day of my miserable life just a little more bearable because you oh-so-generously decided to grace me with your attention and affections? Please, a vibrating toothbrush will serve me better than you." I spat, putting on my turn signal.

"You have some nerve, talking to a demon like that. How about I just toast you right now?" Kakeru threatened, raising his hand.

"That's not very professional of you, breaking a promise like that. If it was really such a hassle you should have just done it when I bit the shit out of your finger." I said, pulling my keys from the ignition. "Come on, hotshot, Eli's apartment is just upstairs."

Kakeru unbuckled his seatbelt, muttering something to himself. I didn't bother to listen.

I knocked on the door, Kakeru positioning himself by the staircase, and Eli opened the door. A pungent wave of malice and anger washed over me, the glare in Eli's eyes one I hadn't seen in a long time.

"Eels, baby! Might I say those facemasks and tooth whitening kits are really paying off. You're stunning, even when you're hungover!" I said, smiling.

Eli grabbed me by the collar of my suit, yanking me into his apartment and slamming the door. I wound up sprawled on his couch, his angry, hungover self leaning over me. "Why weren't you home? Don't even try telling me you had plans, I know you didn't."

"Well, that's something I can't tell you. And, before you ask, I can't tell you where I'm staying now." I replied, leaning back into the cushions.

He lifted an eyebrow, unconvinced.

"Really. It's not assassins. I just can't stay there for the next nine days, and after that everything will be fine."

"Oh?"

"You're not making this easy for me." I said.

"I don't intend to. This isn't the first time you've gotten me wasted, but you told me you'd never go on a mission having to do with the virus by yourself again."

"The bomb went off early, Eels." I said. "I don't know what went wrong, but I had a gut feeling the night before. You were the one who agreed to my conditions."

"Your condition of me never getting hurt in this kind of work was ridiculous, and you know it. You were getting shot and stabbed before I pried it out of you. We said we're not doing that anymore."

I grabbed his face, looking him in the eye. "We have to infiltrate the next laboratory tomorrow. Do you understand?"

He didn't respond.

"Do you understand me?" I asked.

"I don't like this, Sophie. What are you hiding from me?"

I released his face, and he plopped down on the couch next to me. His head rested on my shoulder and he breathed deeply, closing his eyes.

"I'm hiding three things. I know you're hiding one, but I can't make it up to you." I felt my chest grow heavy. "I'm sorry, Eli."

His head jerked up, and his eyes met mine. "That serious?"

I nodded.

He stood, walking over to his kitchen and grabbing a couple cans from his fridge. He tossed a Coke at me, and he held some kind of light beer in his hand. "I don't like it, but I trust you. After these nine days, will you tell me?"

As the crack of the aluminum can opening filled my ears, I replied, "I won't have to."

…

At exactly ten, my editor plopped himself down in the booth across from me. Kakeru sat several booths down, pretending to read a newspaper as he sipped on a mug of coffee.

"So, the publishers agreed to doing a limited run of the book, but they believe an online auction will not only be easier, but it will also give them a bit more time as well as alleviate the tension on launch night."

Angela dropped his typical coffee, and I sipped on the perfectly sweetened iced tea.

"Sounds fine by me." I replied. "At least that way we won't have to worry about anyone snatching a copy for free."

"Alright, I'll let them know." Stephen paused a moment. "You've made my job surprisingly easy recently. Are you alright, Miss Phoeis?"

Kakeru glanced back at our table, and I smiled. "I'm doing better than ever, Stephen."

I left a $50 on the table, and before Angela could protest I collected Kakeru from his booth and returned to my car.

…

I pulled up to my client's house, having Kakeru put up a barrier he conveniently had forgotten to tell me about. I knocked the specified amount of times, and after several locks clicked from behind the door I was met with an older man.

"I assume you've brought them."

I smiled, holding up the envelope. My client invited me in, and I allowed Kakeru to slip in before I closed the door.

"Please, come sit. Would you like some tea? There are some things I'd like to discuss with you."

"Tea would be lovely." I responded, sitting in a small armchair.

"How long is this going to take?" Kakeru groaned.

"Well, hopefully I'll get some information out of him." I replied quietly.

The man returned moments later with two cups of tea, and as he sat in his armchair he leafed through the files. "I really can't thank you enough for this. Anyone else in your business would have charged me thousands to do this. Why did you offer for free?"

I grimaced a bit, and I wished Kakeru hadn't learned that detail. "Well, when you approached me with your story about my father's use of your technology, I couldn't stand for it. The bio weapon my father has constructed over the years is one that I wish to never see the light of day." I placed my teacup back on the table. "In addition, I could tell that you intend to use your research for good. I'm certain that your research is applicable in the cure for cancer and other aggressive, cell-absorbing sicknesses."

The man smiled. "You gathered this much from the synthesized data? I see you even retrieved data based on all the tests they conducted involving my research."

"I can assure you, sir, your research is safe from Sendo Laboratories. I am personally ensuring that my father's company's research will never see the light of day."

"That's good to hear." the man said. "You know, I knew your father before the tragedy. He used to be a good man."

I smiled back. "My father's prior research has definitely impacted the world of medicine, and he is a genius in his field. It is unfortunate that he has used his knowledge to create weapons as of late."

"I wish you luck and success in your journey, Miss. May your efforts be fruitful."

Kakeru and I returned to the car, and just as the doors closed he hit me with the inevitable question.

"Why did you steal his research for free?"

I started the car, pulling out of the driveway as I replied, "I already answered that question. I said I couldn't stand to see research intended to help cure cancer being used to advance my father's bio weapon."

"You humans are weird. It sounded like you could have charged him thousands."

"I thought you weren't supposed to get to know me." I clicked on my turn signal. "My thoughts aren't worth much more than a dying person's ramblings, anyway."

…

I pulled up to my old, rickety shack, pulling the keys out of my ignition.

"Wait, you lived here?" Kakeru asked, shocked.

"Stay in the car."

"Yeah, yeah, hurry it up already." Kakeru groaned, his arms crossed over his chest.

I approached my house, and as I unlocked the door that really wasn't that hard to just snap open, I was met with a letter. I closed the door behind me and picked it up.

'Meet me at Tom's on tomorrow. Booth 4, 7PM. If you don't show up, I'll kill her.'

An Ace of Hearts fluttered to the floor, and I put it in my pocket with the Ace of Diamonds. "See you then, Ace." I said, smiling.

I grabbed several changes of clothes and underwear from my closet, and while I had the chance I changed into some more casual clothes. I wore plain white Nike's with dark grey patterned joggers and a pastel pink hoodie. I tossed my suit into my bag, taking care to pack away the letters, cards, and USB drives into a small pocket. Lastly I gathered other small essentials and took all the cash I had stockpiled out of the small safe I kept it in.

As I opened the car door Kakeru complained about how long I took, but I ignored him and began the drive back to the Demon House. When we arrived, Satoru, Haruhito, and Meguru were in the living room.

Satoru looked to Kakeru, smiling. "So, how'd it go?"

"Humans are the worst." Kakeru replied, loosening his tie and flopping onto the couch. "That one especially."

"Oh, scary." I replied, adjusting the strap of my backpack. "For tomorrow I have another busy day. In the morning I would like to visit my mother, but at noon at the latest I need to be at Eli's house before my three o'clock movie premiere. We should return around six." I had decided not to tell them about meeting an assassin or infiltrating another laboratory.

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me." Kakeru wheezed, throwing his head back. "You couldn't have done any of this stuff before you were supposed to be toast?"

I shrugged. "A lot of this wasn't up to me. I don't really have a-"

The world around me spun, and the weight of my bag became too much. I fell to the floor, seeing stars as a loud, high pitched ringing screamed in my ears. The hardwood floor felt cold on my cheek, and a slight pain in my knees made me think I had fallen onto those first.

I felt a slight shaking on my shoulders, and as the ringing gradually subsided I heard someone calling my name. Through the dizziness I forced myself to sit up, my eyes struggling to focus as the ringing grew louder.

"This happens sometimes." I said, hoping I was speaking loud enough for the demons to hear me. "Don't worry about-"

My arms gave out and I fell back to the floor, my head bouncing against the hardwood. My head felt like it was going to explode, and as the ringing grew irritatingly loud, I slipped into unconsciousness.

…

I woke in a panic, the feeling of air filling my lungs somewhat of a relief as I recalled the dream I'd had many times before. I exhaled, letting the panic fade before I sat up.

"You're awake?"

I flinched at the voice, Meguru sitting beside my bed. He held a book in his hands, and I wondered how long he had been sitting there.

"How long have you been sitting there?" I asked, rubbing my eyes.

"Just a few minutes. Kakeru carried you up here and has been using his healing powers to help you recover."

"Healing powers, huh. How long have I been out?"

"Probably twenty minutes or so."

I stared at Meguru, wondering if he had just been messing with me, but I looked outside and saw that the sun hadn't even begun to set. "I'm usually out for at least two hours."

Meguru smiled. "My brother's the real deal. He's out on the porch if you want to see him."

I uncovered myself, slipping on my shoes. "I should thank him, at least."

I opened the door to the patio, the smell of cigarette smoke slapping me in the face. Kakeru turned to look at me, but before he could say anything I covered my nose and mouth with the fabric of my hoodie. "Disgusting."

"That's a rude way to greet someone who just helped you." he said, crossing his arms.

"Thanks for helping me. And for guarding me today. Later."

"Wait."

I closed the sliding door, turning my back and proceeding down the stairs.

"Oh, she's alive." Haruhito commented, smiling.

"Are you guys hungry?" I asked, lathering my hands with soap. "I didn't eat lunch today."

"Dinner would be great." Satoru replied. "I don't think any of us have eaten in awhile."

I began preparations for dinner, Kakeru entering the kitchen several minutes later.

"Why was there so much blood in your brain?" he asked, his arms crossed over his chest.

"Get your gross cigarette hands away from the food, and get your gross cigarette breath away from me." I said, continuing to make dinner.

"Answer me."

"No, I'm not going to do that." I replied. "My blood rushing to my brain has nothing to do with you killing me."

Kakeru slammed his hand on the counter, saying, "It matters if it kills you before the tenth day! You were the one threatening me about making a promise. Are you not intending to keep it?"

"It won't kill me, I can assure you that. I'd have done something about it if I had even the slightest suspicion it'd be fatal."

He scowled, his hand still on the counter.

"If you can give me a reason to believe my dizzy spell is directly related and relevant to you killing me, I'll tell you."

"Why do you have to be so difficult?"

I paused, looking up at Kakeru. "Difficult? Oh, I can be difficult if that's what you want."

Satoru stood, leaning over the counter. "C'mon, Soph, is it really that big of a deal to tell us?"

I grabbed the knife I had been chopping vegetables with, and as I made direct eye contact with Kakeru I sliced my palm open.

"What are you-?"

"Oh, no. Looks like I cut myself on accident. I'm gonna go to the bathroom and patch this up." I said, feeling the hot blood dripping down my fingers.

"Sophie, what the hell?" Satoru asked, shocked.

"I'm just being difficult." I said, bumping Kakeru's shoulder as I exited the kitchen. "I'll finish dinner in a minute."

Kakeru grabbed my shoulder, and I launched my foot right into his stomach. He stumbled back, apparently having braced himself for my hit, and I glared at him.

"I told you before, don't touch me."

"Just give me your hand."

"No."

"Give me your hand!"

"I said no. I know you have healing powers, and I'm grateful for you helping me earlier, but I don't need your help. I'll deal with this on my own. The farther you all stay away from me, the easier this will be in the end."

"Do you think I'd fall in love with the likes of you, human?" Kakeru snarled, his hands clenched into fists.

"No matter how slim a chance that may be, I cannot count on it. If there is even a one in a million chance that you can fall in love with me and prevent me from dying in ten days, I can not afford to take it." I smiled at him. "So, for your sake and for mine, please just leave me be."

{…}

Sophie exited the room, and I could tell from her eyes three things. She was terribly lonely, she was hiding something from us, and she was trying her best not to cry. I wasn't sure if Haruhito was able to catch that much from her glance, but I knew Kakeru would have. I feared what would come after he saw those eyes.

"Kakeru… she-"

"Satoru."

I tensed up, and Kakeru looked at me.

"Since when do humans have so much pain in their eyes?"

I felt my face soften. "She's not telling us anything, but her face gives away everything she's feeling."

"What an eventful evening his has been!" Haruhito exclaimed, smiling.

Meguru had found his way down the stairs, and upon laying his eyes on the scene he exclaimed, "Blood! Why is there so much blood in the kitchen?"

"Didn't you hear? Sophie sliced her palm open." Haruhito replied, as if the event was already common knowledge.

"Sophie did what…? Brother, why didn't you-"

"Meguru." I said, cutting him off.

Sophie returned from the bathroom, her hand expertly wrapped. "Oh, everyone is already here. If you all sit, I'll have dinner ready in a few moments." She smiled. "I'll clean up tonight as well."

Kakeru turned in a huff and plopped into his chair, the rest of us following him and sitting in our normal seats. The look on his face worried me, but I decided it was better to just keep my mouth shut in the meantime.

{…}

I wiped up the blood as much as I could for the time being, but I'd have to wait until the men went to bed before sterilizing. I put the knife I had used in the sink, and grabbed a new one from the small holder above the silverware drawer.

Quickly I finished dinner, serving a nice spread of a beef bowl, stir-fry vegetables, and some chilled soba salad. As the men began eating a strange feeling creeped up in my chest, and I decided it would be better to hide away for the time being.

I went to my room, locking the door and sitting on my bed. My body felt unusually heavy and I flopped back onto the comforter, sighing heavily and closing my eyes. "This sucks."

I woke to a knock on the door, and I sluggishly sat up. "Sorry, gimme a minute." I groaned, rubbing my eyes as I stumbled to the door. After unlocking it, Meguru stood behind the door.

"Sorry to bother you." he said, his shoulders tense.

"It's fine, what happened?"

"Well… you just kind of disappeared. I wanted to make sure you're okay."

I gazed at him, the nervousness in his eyes something I recognized from our first meeting. Slowly I opened the door a bit more, standing before Meguru.

Slap!

I held his face in my hands, squishing his cheeks as his eyes nearly bugged out of his head. "Dude. Relax. If you're so tense, I'm gonna think you're about to piss yourself."

"N-no, I… I just-"

I released him and leaned against my doorframe. "You don't need to worry about me, kid. I'm fine."

"Why didn't you let my brother heal the cut?"

I was caught a bit off guard by his question, and for a moment I had forgotten I had even sliced my hand open. "I don't know... I felt trapped, I guess."

Meguru looked troubled. "I just want you to die happy. The saddest thing is to have to watch people get toasted with regrets."

I reached out to him, resting my hand on his silvery hair and patting it gently. "I'm working so hard so I don't have any regrets. Trust me, kid."

I had expected him to smile, but as I saw frustration on his face and a hint of tears in his eyes, I almost felt compelled to follow him as he ran down the hallway and slammed his door closed.

It took me some time to find the bleach, but after tying a cloth over my nose and mouth I began working on sanitizing the floor from the kitchen to the bathroom, then I set to work on carefully sanitizing the knife I had used to cut myself. "I keep making people mad today. I guess that's for the better, though." I muttered to myself, keeping an eye on the time. I slid down to the floor, my back to the counter. "Maybe I should just kill him early and die a bit sooner. That might make things easier."


	3. Chapter 3

8 Days Until I'm Toast...

...

I showered first thing in the morning, taking extra time to shave and use my facial cleanser just to look a bit more put together. After drying off I painted my nails and toes cherry red, waiting a bit for them to dry before exiting the bathroom.

I slipped on a pair of leggings and baby blue hoodie, accompanied by the white Nike's I had worn the day before. My hair I simply kept down, as I didn't feel like hearing another lecture from Eli about how impossible it was to get the creases from hair ties out without the use of water.

Kakeru met me in the living room, and as he opened his mouth to make some grumpy comment, I spoke first.

"Great, you're up on time. Now, I have two options for you. In front of my mother you can pretend to be my boyfriend or you can wait out in the lobby."

"I'm starting to get sick of your mouth. Why to I have to pretend to be dating you?" he snapped, his grumpiness a bit more extreme than I had expected.

"If you don't want to go, Meguru said he wasn't busy today. I can probably ask Haruhito too, he'd seem like the type to do it just for fun."

Kakeru pinched the bridge of his nose, fuming. "Fine, whatever. Let's just get this over with."

{...}

Sophie approached the reception desk of the hospital, chatting with the receptionist before being given two paper wristbands.

"Here, put this on. Her room is back this way." she said, handing me one.

I put on the wristband as she walked, and she stopped abruptly in front of a door. Somehow I prevented myself from bumping into her.

"Mother, may I come in? I brought someone with me."

"Sophie? Please, come in." a soft, feeble voice called from the other side of the door.

Sophie entered, and as she laid eyes on her mother, I watched her entire face soften. Her eyes looked warmly, rather than glaring, and the small frown her lips always seemed to turn into became a soft smile. She sat on a small stool beside her mother's bed, taking her hand.

"Who's this young man? You never bring visitors, Sophie."

I bowed my head. "My name is Kakeru Kamui. It's a pleasure to meet you."

The woman leaned closer to Sophie, whispering, "How much did he spend on the ring?"

Sophie laughed, a bright smile enveloping her face. "It's not like that, Mother. He is my boyfriend though, and he wanted to meet you."

Her mother smiled, turning to me. "Well, young man, my name is Emilia Lane. I'm sorry you had to meet me in this condition."

"No, it's not a problem." I replied.

Emilia gestured to a second stool, a bit of the ways from her bed. "Please, pull up a chair. I'd like to see you up close."

I obliged, grabbing the stool and sitting beside Sophie. Emilia touched my face gently with her fingertips, and a soft smile covered her face.

"You snatched quite a handsome young man, Sophie. Just like your mother." Emilia turned to face her. "How is your father doing? I haven't heard much about his research lately in the medical journals."

I looked to Sophie, who kept a smile on her face but looked pained. "He's still doing research. He's focusing on one specific project right now, so until that's done he won't have anything to publish."

"Is that so." She turned to me, saying, "Well, enough about that. How long have you and Sophie been together? She never tells me things like this."

I smiled. "I'd say almost two years now."

"Sophie! You kept this from me for that long? Are you an actor as well?"

"No, I work at a law firm, and I'm preparing to take over the company."

Emilia pulled Sophie close to her, saying, "Big checks means big stones."

"Mother, please." Sophie held her mother's hand, asking, "Are you feeling alright? The receptionist told me you were having some elevated blood pressure yesterday."

"Oh, please. Those doctors are in a panicked frenzy if I so much as sneeze. Don't worry so much about me, dear." She took Sophie's face in her hands. "All I want is for you to be happy."

"Ms. Lane." I said, my fist clenched lightly on my lap.

"Oh, dear, call me Emilia."

"...Emilia. I came here with a purpose today."

Sophie looked at me, panicked. "Kakeru, what are you-"

"I know you just met me, but these past two years with Sophie have been the best of my life."

"Kakeru, really-"

"I want to ask for your blessing." I said, standing and bowing. "Please allow me to marry your daughter."

"My, he's a bit stuffy, isn't he?" Emilia said. "Please, sir down dear."

I obliged, sitting.

"You seem like a fine young man, especially going to far as to seek my blessing. But, I trust Sophie's judgement. If she wants to marry you, my blessing will come with it."

"Mother…" Sophie breathed, looking at her mother with wide eyes.

Emilia kissed Sophie's forehead and stroked her hair. "You spent your whole life making sure I was happy. Now it's your turn."

…

Sophie closed the car door, but did not put on her seatbelt nor did she start the car. "What the hell were you thinking?"

I would have loved to answer her, but I was still grappling with the fact that I had done it at all. Perhaps I had just been wrapped up in the moment, but even to me that sounded like a cop-out.

"Do you realize what you just did?" she asked, visibly irritated by my lack of an answer.

"I made your mother happy." I replied.

"You just told my mother you wanted to marry me. I sincerely hope you have a reason to explain how that benefitted me, or I'm going straight back to the house and taking Meguru with me tonight."

"For fuck's sake, Sophie, I'm not in love with you!" I yelled, angry that she kept assuming so. "You dare say I'd fall in love with a loud, annoying, bull-headed human woman who isn't even smart enough to learn her place? Give me a break."

The instant the words left my mouth, I regretted them. She looked at me blankly, not a single emotion showing on her face.

"...Sop-"

"If you apologize, that means you didn't mean it." she said, starting the car. "If you meant it, then that means everything's fine."

{...}

I entered the Demon House and was met with a limp, seemingly lifeless body on the floor. Nobody seemed to notice, Kakeru walking right past it and stalking off to his room. The only other person around to notice was Satoru, and he didn't seem to have any concerns.

"So, am I just supposed to ignore the fact that Shiki's dead on the floor here?" I asked.

"He's always like that." Satoru replied, walking over to me. "Sleeping is his favorite pastime."

"I can see that."

Satoru smiled, leaning in close to me. "So, how's your mom?"

"The condition of my mother isn't necessary information to have in order to kill me." I replied.

"Well, sure it is." Satoru said, lifting up my chin. "I'd also like to know just how good you are in bed."

I grabbed Satoru by the collar, pulling him just the slightest bit closer in order for our lips to touch. To prevent him from escaping I threw my other arm around his neck, locking him in place as I made out with him for nearly ten seconds. When I finally released him, he looked at me as if I were a ghost.

"Do you just suck at this, or did I surprise you?"

He grabbed me by the shoulders and pushed me against the wall, forcefully kissing me as if his life depended on it. I listened intently for the sound of footsteps, and I had the slight fear that Shiki would wake up at any moment. Thankfully, just as a door upstairs opened, Satoru pulled back.

Haruhito appeared at the bottom of the steps, and as he looked at Satoru's hands gripping my shoulders, a smile covered his face. "Well well, looks like something interesting happened here."

Satoru finally released me, his cheeks flaming red and his brow furrowed. I brushed off my shoulders, stepping over Shiki's sleeping body.

"Next time I'll use my tongue." I called over my shoulder, heading up the stairs and entering my room. I flopped face-down onto my bed, the morning's events weighing down like bricks on my mind.

"Well, I guess I can make lunch for today."

I made my way to the kitchen, Satoru and Haruhito still loitering as Shiki had himself sprawled across the living room floor. Meguru had joined them, crouching over Shiki's body.

"Are sandwiches fine for lunch? You guys are running a bit low on ingredients, so I can do some shopping later." I asked, looking through the fridge from ingredients.

"Sounds good to me." Haruhito said, smiling.

"Hmmm… yeah, I can do that. Give me ten minutes, guys. Someone tell Kakeru to start getting ready, after lunch we'll be leaving."

"I'll tell him." Meguru called, his footsteps them retreating up the stairs.

Kakeru appeared just as I finished the sandwiches. I evaluated the black suit he wore, I gave him a cherry red tie and matching pocket square.

"Since we're going to the premiere together, we should match. Don't worry, though, I won't let Eels do your makeup, but I don't have the power to stop him from doing your hair."

Kakeru had an annoyed look on his face, taking one of the sandwiches. "You wrote the book, didn't you? The one this movie is based off of?"

I smiled. "Yes, I did. The book was about the childhood of a little girl, and the movie is about her when she's older. It's like a continuation."

"I didn't read the book. Am I going to be confused the whole time?"

"No, I made sure that my director understood that the two didn't need to be directly connected. You get bits and pieces of the little girl's childhood in the movie for context, anyway." I placed the plate of sandwiches on the table, saying, "We should get moving, Eels is a perfectionist."

…

"Isn't this the creep you went so far as to kiss me to get away from, and the stalker who met up with you at the restaurant when I got stuck in traffic?" Eli asked, his eyes scanning Kakeru as he blocked the doorway.

"Yes, he is. His name is Kakeru Kamui, and he'll be accompanying me to the premiere. I'm not being threatened, in case you get any ideas." I replied.

Eli had an expression I had never seen before on his face, and as he looked at Kakeru the gears in his head seemed to be whirring out of control.

"Eli."

His eyes snapped back to mine. And his expression changed to hurt, then anger. "You didn't tell me-"

"If you're going to get in my way, Eli, I'll have no choice but to leave you too. Don't force me to make that decision."

"But-"

"Please. Later, not now."

Eli's face fell, and he stroked my hair. "Promise?"

I smiled. "Promise."

He clapped his hands together. "Alright, let's get started then."

Kakeru stood by as Eli transformed me from a tired, grouchy woman to a runway-ready actress, my contour fierce and my eyeliner sharp enough to cut diamonds. My hair was pulled back, extensions added in and curled.

"You never fail to impress me, Eels." I said, admiring the shine of my cherry red lips. "Kakeru, it's your turn while I go get changed."

He sat in the chair, Eli muttering something to him that I could not hear.

{…}

"So, when's she set to be toasted?" Eli asked, leaning close to whisper in my ear.

"How did you-"

"I'm her guardian angel. Don't worry, I'm not gonna tattle to the higher-ups, I'm not bound by their rules."

My shoulders relaxed a bit. "She was supposed to be toast two days ago, but our explosion failed. We made a deal to give her an extra days."

Eli began spraying my hair with a water bottle. "That's just like her. She's the only human crazy enough to make a deal with a demon."

I couldn't help but smile. Then, I realized I could use this person to my advantage. "You wouldn't happen to know about her father's project, would you?"

"Whatever she hasn't said is off-limits for me to say. She'd murder me in cold blood."

"Can you at least tell me why she's so hell-bent on dying in ten days?"

Eli's hands stopped. "You said what now?"

"She said she's going to die in eight days, be it by us or her own hand."

"That girl, I swear. My job would be a lot easier if I didn't have to force everything out of her." he said, resuming his work on my hair.

The clicking of heels could be heard seconds later, and when Sophie emerged from the back room I felt as if I were going to keel over.

"Eels, did you really have to go through the effort of grabbing my boobs so much that you could figure out my bra size? I'm impressed you got it right, but I wear sports bras religiously for a reason."

"Daaamn, girl! If you worked those C cups and those hips you'd be getting mad di-"

"That wasn't my question, Eli."

He put his hands on his hips. "Babe, it's the premiere of the movie you've been working on for the past five years. It's your night! Go show off the girls!"

She rolled her eyes, moving over to the floor-length mirror just beside his workstation. She adjusted her dress and hair a bit before asking, "So, Eli, are you going to stop me?"

Eli seemed to flinch, and he turned to Sophie. "What are you talking about, Soph?"

"If the assassin threatening me and the demons both back out on killing me, I'm sending a bullet straight through the roof of my mouth."

"Sophie!" he exclaimed, hurt showing on his face.

"You already told Kakeru you're an angel, and I assume you know about him already since you got worked up after hearing his name. I told you the bomb went off early the other day. It was thanks to him and his little troupe."

"But if you're in the Fate Database-"

"Even if I wasn't in the database, I wasn't going to let myself live until my birthday." I crossed my arms over my chest, turning to him. "Are you happy? You learned two secrets I was keeping from you, but I already knew you were an angel."

"You what?" we both exclaimed, shocked.

"The first time you got wasted you blabbered on and on about how you'd protected me since I was a little girl, and you were so happy that your supervisor decided direct intervention was necessary and blah blah blah. I don't let you get wasted in public for a reason."

"Sophie…"

"I know it's your job to care about me, Eels, but that doesn't mean you're not my best friend. You were the only person I could rely on when my mother started getting sick, and because of that I trust you more than I trust myself. But I didn't tell you about me needing to die because I knew you'd tear yourself apart over it."

"How can I not? I'm your guardian angel, for fuck's sake!" he yelled, tears beginning to gather in his eyes. "It's my job to protect you, and I didn't even notice your name in the Fate Database!"

Sophie's face softened, similarly to how she looked at her mother. "Eels, please don't cry. This was decided long, long before you met me. I'm killing my father so nobody else has to end up like I do."

"What… what did your father do…?"

"Once you finish Kakeru's hair, I'll tell you."

Eli decided on a simple, pulled-back style for me. After securing it with a bit of gel, he released me. Sophie had already sat herself on the couch, beckoning me and Eli to sit on both sides of her.

"Where should I start? The beginning?" she asked, looking up at the ceiling.

"We have plenty of time." Eli replied.

"Well, before I was born my mom and dad had a daughter. My dad was always a well-known doctor and was accomplished in the medical field, his research landing in health journals around the world. But, when my sister was still small, she was kidnapped. Her body was never found, and nobody was ever charged with the crime."

"That's awful…" Eli said, resting his hand on her thigh.

"After that, my dad started to go a bit nuts. He couldn't grieve because a body was never found, but as the days turned to weeks, to months, to years, he lost all hope of ever finding his daughter. Then, I was born." Sophie folded her hands together, clenching them tightly. "My mom always told me that he cried the first time he held me, saying he felt the soul of his little girl in my body. That's when everything started to fall apart. He was obsessed with protecting me from the world, sparing me from the same fate as my sister. He engineered a virus that responded to electrical signals, and soon began testing it on mice and other animals in his laboratories. The viral cells hijack red blood cells, and depending on what signal he sends out, he can freeze the movement of blood altogether or have it clump. I once watched a mouse's head explode because all the blood in its body rushed to its brain."

The image of Sophie collapsed on the floor flashed in my mind, and I began to realize what she was leading up to.

"My mother was the first person he infected. Her organs have deteriorated from the stress of his experiments to the point that she's completely hospitalized, and every time he sends out a testing signal it gets worse. I know he's injected other people for 'clinical trials' and has monitored their symptoms, but I haven't been able to get a hold of the exact number. I've done enough research to know that if I destroy the main code it was programmed by, the virus will become inactive. That is, except for one strain."

We both waited in silence for her to continue.

"I can't remember much, but I was injected by my father on my sixth birthday. He had vaccinated me before and I assumed that's what it was, but as I began learning more and more about 'The Sophie Project', as he called it, I stumbled upon the notes he made of my strain. He was testing out an 'autopilot' version of the virus, one that would work even without the deliberate commands of a computer. Exactly twenty years after the virus was injected it would manifest into an airborne contagion, and once a person was infected they would die within 72 hours from a sudden, violent brain hemorrhage."

"Sophie…"

"My father scrapped the idea, and made a note to develop an antidote for me, but as his sanity began to slip the antidote was never completed. I inspected lab tests and virtual simulations, and my father's findings indicated that the entire planet would be decimated within two months, land and sky animals included. His findings on sea life were inconclusive." She took a deep breath, and finally opened her eyes. "If I don't die, everyone will die within two months of me turning twenty-six. I've kept my father's malicious intents from my mother to protect her, but I'm afraid that my father is really losing his grip. The virus I have responds to the deliberate signals as well, and he's been increasing their frequency steadily since I began destroying his laboratories. If I don't hurry, someone might die before I can stop him."

Eli had tears falling from his face, his hand gripping Sophie's tightly. "There's… really no way out of this, is there?"

Sophie smiled the same smile she had given earlier in the day, pained and hiding how much she wanted to cry. "It's been a good fourteen years, Eels, but you'll be getting your next assignment soon."

"Sophie!" Eli yelled, throwing his arms around her as his shoulders shook violently, loud sobs sounding through the apartment.

She rubbed his back, a sad, pained smile on her face. "I know, Eels. I'm sorry."

"Sophie… Sophie!" he cried.

I looked at my hands, which had balled themselves into fists at some point. A tightness gripped at my chest, and a deep frustration made it hard for me to think logically. I felt, for the first time in my life, completely helpless.

"Come on, Eels. You're ruining your highlight." Sophie said, a hint of tears gathering in her eyes.

"Who cares about a stupid highlight right now? I can't lose you, Soph. It's too soon."

Sophie stood from the couch, her back to us as she grabbed a small Coach clutch from the coffee table. "Kakeru, we need to get going. The doors are going to open soon."

Eli continued sobbing as we left his apartment, and I could not find the words to speak through the lump in my throat. I hadn't caught a glimpse of Sophie's face, and before I worked up the courage to say something, a car pulled up to the driveway and a man opened the door.

"Miss Thompson, Sir, I will be taking you to your destination."

We drove to the theater in silence, and until I caught a glimpse of the massive line, I was unable to spit out the simple question, "Are you alright?"

Sophie turned, smiling the same cold smile she always did. "I'm more than alright. I'm ready."

{…}

We reached the premiere and the car door opened, and as soon as I set my foot on the ground, my left hand reached for Kakeru's right, and I flipped my hair as I dragged him out of the car.

Flashing lights erupted around me as Kakeru followed me down the red carpet, and he seemed so disoriented I pulled him close and whispered, "The more you look like you don't know what you're doing, the more obvious it is. Just follow my lead." I pulled away and flashed a smile at him, while squeezing his hand a little tighter. His eyes widened a little and he thought a moment, but he quickly smiled and relaxed, puffing out his chest and looking directly at the cameras.

"Miss Thompson! Miss Thomson! Is this young man your boyfriend?" a reporter asked, sticking his microphone in my face.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" I replied, sending a flirtatious wink as I blew a kiss at the camera.

"Miss Thompson! How do you feel about the release of your new movie?" another reporter asked.

I flashed my million dollar smile. "I feel that the movie is an accurate depiction of true events, and hope that stays with my viewers for a long, long time."

"Miss Thompson-"

I tugged Kakeru by the hand and flashed one more smile at the cameras before entering the theatre.

"Is it always that intense out there?" Kakeru asked, straightening his blazer.

"Well, it was a bit more tame than usual. Sometimes fans jump barriers and run at you like bulls." I tugged him by the hand once more. "Come on, let's go grab our seats."

We settled in the very back of the theater, the cushy, reclining seats allowing for a comfortable visit. I settled back, Kakeru's fingers still laced with mine, and after several previews, the theater grew dark and the screen lit up.

The movie started with a series of clips, like driving in a taxi and attending class. After the intro credits the scene changed to a hospital room, and a small girl sat next to her mother. They portrayed me as a small child and my own mother. They seemed to be having a conversation.

My narration went over and said, "Mother is dying."

A man walked into the room, and the narration continued.

"Father was a scientist, but recently he branched off to work on an independent experiment. As the years went on a vast majority were very minor experiments, but he recently created a virus and many of his subjects showed lethal effects. My mother is one of them."

The scene switched once more, and my current self was training in an abandoned place. My narration went on, and it said, "I will do whatever it takes to complete this mission. For nearly twenty years I have been planning and training. I will show everyone what you really are."

The plot advanced, consisting of me beginning work as a contracted thief, as well as breaking into my father's laboratories and collecting files, all while being right under his nose. The audience learned of the effects of the virus and the special strain that my blood had been infected with, and between the dramatic bits there were clips reminiscent of the average life I portrayed on the outside.

During one heist another narration came through and it said, "Mother never realized my father was the one who made her sick, or that I was in danger. All her life she did nothing but love him, only to be betrayed. I will do anything in my power to save her, and to prevent the disease from spreading."

The movie continued on for twenty more minutes, and at the climax everyone was on the edge of their seats. I stood with a gun to my father's face, his crazed eyes unfocused.

"Victoria, please, I just want to protect you. Why won't you let Daddy save you from the awful people in this world?"

My face was cold on the screen, but I did not immediately pull the trigger. My narration played over, "I watched the man I once knew as my father, pleading with his dead daughter who I never knew. I mourned the man my mother had once loved, and the father my sister had the privilege of knowing. As his ramblings continued on, I wasn't strong enough to meet his eyes as I pulled the trigger."

A quiet scene showed me deleting the last of the data, taking one last look at my father as he still reached for me. Even with his dying breath, the only thing he cared about was, "Victoria."

The scene showed me walking down a dark street, a light rain making the sidewalk shiny. I entered a warehouse, the same gun I had used to kill my father in my hands. The assassin jumped down from the upper railing, a gun in his hands as well. He had been introduced earlier in the story, but was only a supporting character.

"So, would you mind finally telling me who hired you?" I asked.

The assassin smiled, approaching me. "You stole a very valuable artifact from my client before it hit the black market. He figured if he couldn't see the money from that transaction, he'd settle for your corpse in exchange."

I removed the shell cartridge from the gun I held, and as I suspected it was empty. I shoved it back in and tossed the gun to the side, saying, "Well, it looks like I'm out of bullets and out of time. You mind just getting this over with?"

The assassin had a look of surprise, but after a moment he simply said, "Well, that makes my job easier." He approached me, and with a coldness in his eyes he shoved the gun in my mouth. I closed my eyes, and heard the click of the gun being cocked.

A loud bang filled the theater, and the screen went black.

I watched everyone in the audience, and just as I'd hoped they were completely absorbed in it. Their faces of entrancement soon turned to faces of fear and sadness, speechlessness and shock, and everything in between.

The final frame of the movie was an empty room with a blood stained floor and walls, the camera slowly focusing in on my corpse. My eyes were half open, my tear-stained face completely still.

"Finally, the world is safe."

As I clutched Kakeru's hand I trembled slightly, but I couldn't tell why.

…

We reached the Demon House close to six in the evening, and Kakeru had not spoken a word since before the movie began. I didn't mind all that much, as I didn't particularly want to talk about the things I had been forced to discuss already. We entered the living room, and surprisingly all of the demons were loitering about. Haruhito was among them, and before he gave me a friendly 'welcome home' he stopped himself.

"Those are some somber looks you've got on your faces. What happened?" he asked.

"Well, watching a movie about a woman whose crazed father is slowly killing her mother because of the disappearance of his first daughter, which ultimately ends up in her allowing an assassin to kill her so she doesn't spread the lethal disease her father had infected her with isn't quite the movie to watch if you want to be in a good mood." I replied, smiling.

"Nevermind the movie, are you looking at her?" Satoru said, his mouth nearly on the floor. "For a woman who wears ponytails, hoodies, and sweatpants, you clean up damn fine!"

Kakeru looked irritated, but I couldn't help but think back on what I had prevented Eli from saying.

"Well, I am a bit of a celebrity after all. My movie has already sold a quarter million dollars worth of presale tickets in Japan alone. Though I assume that's because my book was super popular."

Kakeru raised his hands, saying, "Wait, if you're so successful then why on Earth did you live in that shack?"

"That information isn't necessary, but I'll tell you anyway. My father had no way of finding me if I didn't have an address."

"Oh, look at that. She told us something about herself." Satoru said, feigning shock.

"Well, you all better listen because I'm going to tell you exactly what I told Eli and Kakeru earlier."

…

"So I'm summary, Eli is my guardian angel, my father engineered and infected me with a virus capable of wiping out the planet, and I want to kill him and destroy the research before he kills anybody. Hence why I need to die in eight days."

"That's… heavy." Shiki replied.

I stood, rubbing my neck in the places I felt strain. "Well, there's not much I can do to change it now. If you all had toasted me earlier things might have worked out, but I can't trust what he'd do if he realized his second daughter died in an explosion. I need to make sure the program is destroyed and that he can't hurt anyone else before I die."

"For all this programming and computer stuff you talk about you still haven't opened that Prada X laptop." Haruhito said, pouting.

I crossed my arms over my chest. "I told you I wouldn't use it. I worked exclusively from a Chromebook and a smartphone, for Christ's sake."

Satoru rubbed his chin, saying, "You know, Shiki is a hacker. Maybe he can hack into your father's computer system and delete the program?"

"I tried that before, but my father has several backups of the program that he can just reinstall to his main computer. Unless I burn everything to the ground and kill him, I can't guarantee that there isn't a copy of the current program somewhere."

"Don't most researchers have assistants and co-researchers that help them with projects? Are you certain that nobody else has a copy?" Meguru asked.

"Well, I've talked with the several people I could find in connection with my father's research, and I've found that they're former colleagues that he stole research from without their knowledge, and in the event that they do find out I'm usually the one they hire to get it back."

"Was the movie any good, Kakeru? I just might go see it." Satoru asked, standing.

"It's… a bit hard to watch the ending." he replied.

I looked to Kakeru, who would not meet my eyes. A loud sigh escaped my lips and I headed to the staircase, saying, "If you refuse to kill me, Kakeru, you have every right to turn away as I blow my brains out." I waved to the demons over my shoulder. "Goodnight!"

I didn't hear the demons call for me as I walked up the stairs and entered my room, and I felt a bit relieved knowing that none of them were brave enough to chase me. For a moment I just stood in the middle of my room, my arms crossed over my chest as I thought to myself. My thoughts were later interrupted by a knock at the door.

"Sophie?"

I was a bit surprised. "Satoru? You can come in."

The door opened, and as I expected Satoru entered my room. He closed the door behind him, and a slight click he attempted to cover up by clearing his throat alerted me of what his intentions were.

"Sorry to bother you, but I just wanted to talk to you about something."

I almost laughed. "Did you want to talk, or are you going to attempt to convince me to have sex with you?"

Satoru grabbed my arm, pulling me and pinning me against the door. "Attempt? Are you really going to say no to me?"

"A little fun before I die doesn't sound half bad, but unfortunately for you I don't fuck men unless I have a condom, and I don't have any."

Satoru's hands held my waist, his lips pecking my neck as he replied, "I can always pull out. You're not the type of woman to not use birth control, are you?"

I grabbed him by the hair, pulling him back to make him look at me. "Can't you learn to take no for an answer?"

"Are you really saying no, or are you playing hard to get?" Satoru asked, his hand reaching up to grope my breast.

I wrapped my arm around his neck, pulling him close and pressing my lips against his. He responded by pulling my waist closer to him, the hand groping my breast squeezing a bit. He opened his mouth slightly, his tongue brushing gently against my lips, and I responded by opening my mouth as well.

His tongue circled mine as his other hand reached a bit lower, slapping my bottom lightly. I was a bit surprised at his boldness, and decided playing for a bit longer wouldn't hurt. I caressed the back of his teeth with my tongue, pressing myself against his chest as my hand reached down to squeeze his bulge.

I could practically hear his reason snap, his arms wrapping themselves behind my legs as he hoisted me off the ground. He grinded into me, pressing my back against the door as he tried to drive me as wild as I had managed to drive him. I pulled away from his lips, instead latching onto his earlobe and nibbling. Satoru's nails dug into the fabric of my dress, and I wondered how much longer I would be able to play before the situation became dangerous.

I felt the pressure of the door disappear from my back, only to be replaced by the feeling of my comforter. Satoru was leaning over me, trapping me beneath his arms and legs.

"You're getting just a bit too cocky for a woman who wants to say no." he said, his eyes glazed over with lust.

"It's fun to play with men sometimes." I replied, using my hand to grip his bulge again. "It's so easy to control you when all the blood leaves your brain and travels to your dick."

Satoru's arms reached behind me, pulling at the zipper of my dress. After he had unzipped it he pulled the fabric from my shoulders, revealing the black lace bra Eli had picked for me. Satoru continued to pull the dress down, pulling it from my feet and throwing it on the floor.

"These are quite sexy for someone who wasn't planning on getting laid." he said, his fingers tracing the hem of the matching underwear.

"Eli has good taste." I replied, watching as Satoru removed his shirt.

He leaned over me again, making out with me while his hands touched my breasts, my sides, and my hips. He then trailed down my face, nibbling my neck as his fingers skillfully unhinged my bra. His lips then pecked at my collarbone, one of his hands holding my left breast as his tongue flicked my right nipple.

I gasped, my hands clutching the comforter, and I heard him laugh to himself a bit as he began teasing both of my nipples. My fingers ran through his hair, gripping the short strands as I did my best to not lose my common sense in the lustful encounter.

Satoru seemed to have had enough moments later, his hand scratching lightly at my ribs as he kissed my stomach. He bit the hem of my panties, releasing them after meeting my eyes and kissing where my clitorus was. His fingers reached for the hem of my panties, and the second I felt them tug I squished my thighs together, trapping Satoru's face.

"Sorry, but I'm gonna stop you here." I said. "I told you, I don't fuck guys without condoms."

Satoru tugged at my panties again, saying, "Come on, don't you want me to make you cum? I'm really good at it, I swear."

I placed my foot on his chest, pushing him away from me before I sat up. "If you bring me some condoms I'll think about it, but until then it's gonna be a no for me."

"You're a dangerous woman, Sophie." Satoru said, reaching for his shirt. "You make my common sense fly out the window."

I smiled. "I just hope you and Kakeru haven't fallen in love with me. Loving someone who doesn't exist anymore will just bring you pain."

Satoru left my room after putting on his shirt, and when I looked at the time I kicked myself. Hurriedly I threw my underwear, bra, and dress in the hamper, then I grabbed a more comfortable set from the dresser. I slipped on my suit, and after making sure I had both USBs and a dagger, I began my escape.

First, I locked the door to my room and placed my cell phone on my nightstand, putting on a random Spotify playlist and blasting it at full volume. I put the screen on full brightness and adjusted my settings to make the screen never dim, hoping it would die around nine-thirty. I placed some pillows under my covers and used the hair extensions Eli had given me to make it appear that I was already asleep in bed. Then I opened my window, checking to make sure I could catch the branch of the tree growing just outside my window.

I stepped out onto the small windowsill, grabbing the storm drain for a bit of support as I closed my bedroom window. After a bit of an intense struggle I turned myself to face the tree branch, and with a slight jump I was able to grab the large branch. Slowly I made my way closer to the trunk, and eventually I made my way safely to the bottom.

The second my feet hit the ground I broke into a sprint, running to the main street and hailing the first taxi I saw. I jumped into the backseat, handing a twenty dollar bill to the driver and saying, "Get me to Tom's on 3rd Street as fast as you can, no change necessary."

The driver accepted my money and took off, speeding down the nearly empty nighttime streets. We arrived at Tom's and I called a thank you over my shoulder, grateful that I had fifteen minutes to wipe off my makeup in the bathroom.

Twelve minutes after arriving and an entire roll of soap-covered paper towels later, I sat myself in booth 7 and waited. I was lucky I had thought of taking out my extensions beforehand, since I also had to undo all the fancy curls and take out the millions of bobby pins he used so I could put my hair in a simple ponytail.

Three minutes later Angela entered, standing beside a boy with long, sandy blonde hair tied up. She met eyes with me, and as I saw tears building up I smiled and mouthed to her that everything would be okay. The two sat down at my booth, and the first hung I noticed was that he had a gun. It was pointed at her stomach, and I felt a pang of worry in my chest. If he shot her, the baby would definitely die.

"So, Ace, why did you want to meet me today?" I asked. "As I recall I still have seven days before you do your job."

"I want to make a proposal. If everything goes as planned, I'll let your friend go. If not, I'll kill her." he said, squeezing Angela's arm.

I knew Ace wasn't as heartless as he seemed, and I realized he had no idea Angela was pregnant. "What's the proposal?" I asked.

"I've done enough research on you to realize you're the phantom thief who's been stealing back items sold on the black market. The other day I had a very valuable ring stolen. I want it back."

I knew he was lying through his teeth, as nobody would realize I was a thief without knowing I had a partner. I smiled and replied, "I see. You want me to steal your ring back. Is that all?"

"No, not at all. My ring is being sold at a black market auction disguised as a masquerade ball three days from now. I'll be present at the ball myself, but I'd rather not be on bad terms with my ties also present."

I wondered if Ace believed he was slick enough to think I wouldn't instantly figure out that he was trying to lure me into a trap. If he was such a proud assassin he'd obviously know how to disguise himself, but I wasn't going to be the one to call him out on his bull when he had a gun to a pregnant woman's stomach. "Will Angela also be at the ball?" I asked.

"Yes. I will exchange her for my ring there. All the details are in here." he replied, sliding me an envelope. "Do we have a deal?"

I looked at Angela and said, "If anything happens to her or her baby, the deal is off."

Ace took a minute to analyze what I said, and I could tell by the look in his eyes he figured it out. "Do we have a deal?" he asked, extending his left hand.

For a second I contemplated him being left handed, but I remembered his right was occupied with a gun. I extended my left hand and shook, sealing the deal. As the two exited, I noticed Ace had changed the gun's position to where he was pointing as far as possible from the baby.

"Ace, if you're that considerate, why are you an assassin?" I asked myself, waiting until they disappeared from view to stand.


	4. Chapter 4

7 Days Until I'm Toast…

…

I found myself before another laboratory, Eli landing beside me. He hadn't bothered to hide his wings, and a pang of guilt hit me as I saw how swollen his under eyes were. "Do you have the time sheet?" I asked, holding out my hand.

He plopped a folder in my hands, and as I flipped through the pages I solidified my plan. I flipped to a blueprint of the building and began to speak. "Okay, I need you in this room at exactly 12:15, and you have forty-five seconds to locate and break into the blue file cabinet containing exactly seven floppy disks. They'll be in the third drawer, lock combination 17-3-27. Also, in the room directly next to it are Petri Dishes with dolphin cells in them. A client had those stolen years ago, and recently located them. Be careful not to touch the cells, since they're poisonous."

"Roger." he replied, nodding. He went to spring into action, but I grabbed his arm.

"Love you, Eels." I said.

He smiled. "Love you too, Soph."

We fist-bumped and he entered the lobby.

At exactly 12:33 a.m. I was crouched behind a wall, floppy disks in hand, peering down the hallway into a lab room I knew all too well. A guard patrolling the hall turned the far corner, and I made my way to the door. It was guarded by a pin pad, and after entering my sister's birthday the door unlocked.

Once inside I gathered DNA samples and research papers, taking everything of any significance and placing it in my bag. I then copied all relevant files onto my USB, and after making sure everything copied correctly I ejected it and placed the virus infected USB into one of the ports. When there was nothing but the counter, a fried computer, and coffee stains left in the room, I took my timed leave.

Eli and I met up behind the reception desk in the lobby, hiding out until two guards who had strayed from their dedicated patrol route chatted about how sexy one of the younger receptionists was. Nearly fifteen minutes later, a more important guard entered the long and scolded them, ordering them to get back to work. Once the lobby was empty, I pulled the fire alarm as Eli and I took our leave.

I had given the timer ten minutes, and when one minute remained I took a count of the guards standing away from the building. Everyone who had clocked in was accounted for, and I felt a sense of relief wash over me. The last thing I wanted to do was kill somebody.

The building exploded, and I knew the fire department would have been alerted by the fire alarm so I made sure to plant as many explosives as I dared. The building collapsed due to the force of the blast, and once I was content, I signaled to Eli that it was time to escape.

I was thankful for Eli's ability to create a barrier and his ability to fly, as he was able to sneak me back into the Demon House and carry me up to the window. I took the floppy disks he had collected as well as several USBs and folders of paper, and I sent him off to deliver the Petri dishes to the client.

He flew off, and before I did anything I plugged my phone into its charger. After removing the pillows and extensions from my bed I changed, slipping on a pair of fluffy pink pajama bottoms with images of sheep plastered on, and a plain black tank-top. Colorful mismatched ankle socks covered my feet, and after letting my hair down and putting away my suit, I opened the envelope Ace had given me.

"The next few days are certain to be interesting." I said to myself, scanning over the papers a second time just to make sure I understood everything.

I removed the things I had stolen from the laboratory and skimmed over them, shoving them into a drawer with of the rest of the physical data when I was done. As I stood before my dresser I noticed my throat was especially dry, so I decided to grab a glass of water from the kitchen.

I was surprised to find all of the demons, sans Haruhito, awake, loitering in the living room either looking at screens or reading books. Meguru noticed me first.

"Sophie, what are you doing up so late? It's past one in the morning."

I smiled and grabbed a cup from the fridge. "I was actually asleep, but I woke up and my throat was really dry. I'm just gonna grab some water then go back to sleep. Why are all of you awake?"

"Demons are night owls, naturally. We thrive at night." Kakeru replied.

I downed my glass of water, wiping my mouth before rinsing the cup off in the sink. "Yeah, that makes sense. I'm more of a morning person though, so I'm going back to sleep. Goodnight."

"Goodnight." I heard three of the demons call.

I closed the door of my room, and I couldn't believe I had pulled off escaping the Demon House for nearly seven hours without getting caught. With a strong sense of pride welling in my chest, I crawled into bed and fell asleep.

Less than three hours later, I was wide awake and unable to drift back into sweet, blissful sleep no matter how hard I tried. Reluctantly I rose from the bed, not bothering to change out of my pajama pants as I assumed the demons would have gone to sleep. After brushing my teeth and hair I made my way to the living room, plopping down on the couch only to realize I had left my cell phone on my nightstand.

"Welp, guess I'll die." I muttered to myself, flopping onto the cushions. Well, what I assumed would be couch cushions, but a strangely firm and elevated surface greeted my cheek.

"I get that you want to die, but isn't it still a bit early?"

I turned my head, meeting Kakeru's gaze. "I left my phone in my room. Please, toast me now."

I thought I saw a hint of a smile on his face, and he closed the book he had been reading. "What are you doing up this early?"

"What are you doing up so late? You obviously haven't slept-"

Kakeru pinched my nose, saying, "I asked you first. Tell me."

I didn't appreciate him barking at me, so I scrunched up my nose and replied, "That information isn't relevant to-"

Kakeru pinched my nose harder, moving his hand so that I could feel my cartilage moving.

"Ow ow ow ow ow! Alright, It's out of habit!" I replied, shaking my nose a bit when he let go. "I've woken up at four in the morning since I was probably fifteen, so my body just wakes me up on its own."

"You should get to bed a bit earlier then. Humans need a lot of sleep." Kakeru said, his arm spread out over the top of the couch.

"I don't really have much time to worry about that." I smiled. "I'm dying in seven days."

Kakeru's expression shifted to one that made my chest contract, and I wondered what the feeling of guilt creeping up in me was for.

"Why do you do that?"

I felt my eyebrows scrunch. "Do what?"

"You smile when you're in pain, or when you're about to cry." His hand moved from the cushions and cupped my cheek, his eyes looking at me warmly as he said, "I've only seen you smile at your mom. Why don't you smile like that more often?"

I turned my face away from his eyes, nuzzling into his palm. "I don't talk about this stuff. It's not going to matter in the end. Me smiling doesn't change my fate."

Kakeru's other hand stroked my hair, and I closed my eyes to avoid seeing his expression.

"Your hands are warm."

"What?"

I gently grabbed Kakeru's sleeve, curling my legs a bit. "Can I stay like this for awhile?"

Kakeru did not reply for some time, and just as I was about to tell him to forget it he replied, "Sure."

I held Kakeru's arm to my chest, letting my thoughts flitter about as his other hand stroked my hair. The feeling of legs beneath my cheek and arms around me brought about memories of my mother when she was young, cradling me in her arms as she sang a song I couldn't quite remember.

I felt a presence before me, leaning in close, and without really knowing who or what was before me, my arm reached out to knock an item from the person's hand before driving my elbow into their cheek.

Only when I noticed Meguru on the floor and Kakeru waking up beside me did I realize I had fallen asleep in Kakeru's lap, and the phone lying face-up on the hardwood floor, with the camera open, made me realize Meguru was trying to take a picture of us.

I rubbed my eyes, saying, "Meguru, I know you weren't there to watch me kick Satoru across the room, but it's still not polite to take a picture of a woman when she's sleeping."

I then heard muffled laughter from the kitchen, and I turned to see Satoru and Haruhito attempting to hide behind the counter as Shiki napped against the fridge. Kakeru seemed to grasp the situation as well, and stood from the couch.

"You two knew she'd sense Meguru and do something to him, didn't you?"

Satoru and Haruhito immediately ceased their laughter, and attempted to play dumb. I helped Meguru to his feet, and as I collected his smartphone from the floor I was surprised to see that he had actually snapped a picture from a bit farther away. For completely innocent reasons I messaged the photo to myself, then deleted both the message and the image from his phone before returning it to him.

"Kakeru, don't be too mean to them. You're cute when your resting bitch face relaxes, so naturally everyone would want a picture." I said.

Kakeru turned to me, angry. "Aren't you bothered by the situation? You're the one who keeps-"

"Eli should be awake by now. We have a busy day." I said, heading to the staircase. Before I made the ascent to my room, I turned back to face the demons and smiled. "The last time I slept that well was on my mother's lap nearly twenty years ago." I felt my face soften. "Thank you."

{…}

As I watched Sophie's back disappear up the stairs, I recalled her breath on my hand and the soft feeling of her hair. The smile she showed me must have been because of the memories of her mother, but because she showed it to me, I simply couldn't understand what it meant.

"Kakeru, you're red as a beet." Haruhito said, an amused smile on his face.

"Aren't beets purple?" Meguru asked, holding his slightly swollen cheek.

"Kakeru."

I turned, meeting eyes with Satoru. His expression was more serious than I had anticipated, and I was caught a bit off guard.

"Are you in love with her?"

I turned back to face the stairs, and as I recalled he image of her sleeping in my lap, I clenched my fists. "Don't be ridiculous. I can't be."

Sophie pulled up to Eli's house, not having said a word. She seemed to be lost in thought, and only after Eli opened the door did I see her expression soften.

"Hey, Eels. I'm here on business." she said.

Eli gestured for us to enter, replying, "Great, I just got a new job request from a client. It seems simple enough, and I know you're not busy, so I accepted."

"I need you to get an invitation to a masquerade auction taking place day after tomorrow." Sophie said, plopping down on Eli's couch. "What about the new job?"

Eli tossed her a Coke from the fridge and replied, "Masquerade auction? I already have an invite. Our new client wanted a painting from there, he verified it was his and all that other junk, I made sure. I have an extra ticket for you."

"That works out, then. I have to steal a ring for a client, but I should only be getting one ticket." Sophie pointed at me with her thumb and said, "I have to bring him along, so that extra ticket won't go to waste."

Eli cracked open his beer can, taking a large swig before slamming it on the coffee table and saying, "Alright, I'm sick of waiting. Tell me why you, Kakeru Kamui, First Prince of the Demon Realm, are out here acting like Sophie's little bodyguard when I know for a fact you have Haruhito and a few others in your posse who can watch her just as well."

Sophie's eyes widened a bit, and I tugged at my collar. "Thanks for spilling the beans, Sir Elijah Anaiel, lapdog of the esteemed Saint Michael. Unfortunately I have a bit of downtime as things in the Demon Realm are calm, so I was the only one available to take on the momentous task of guarding your precious little Sophie from all your angel buddies who want her dead as soon as possible."

Eli stood, approaching me with his shoulders squared. "Watch it, buddy. You may be the prince of the Demon Realm, but you better watch your mouth when you talk about Sophie."

I couldn't help but laugh. "I feel bad for you. You've been forced to watch over her for what, fourteen years? I can't imagine having to pretend to like a sneaky, stubborn, horrendously loud-mouthed bundle of daddy issues for more than ten minutes."

When Sophie had gotten between us I didn't know, but she held Eli's face as angry tears streamed down his cheeks. He hugged her tightly to his chest, and he looked at me with a hatred I had seen before.

"You're lucky she's here, or I would've killed you the second you opened your mouth. The shit you say hurts her, and-"

"Eli, enough. Just let him run his mouth. It's better for me in the end." she said. I couldn't see her face, but as I recalled what I said I began to regret it.

Eli wiped his tears, kissing the top of Sophie's head before releasing her. "If you need to run away, Sophie, just come here." He held her face in his hands, slouching a bit to meet her at eye level. "I'll protect you."

"I know, but I have a deal with them." Her hand held his arm, and she continued, "I only have seven days until I kill my father, and I finally leave the world for good. Just promise me you won't love the next one as much as you love me."

Eli's tears welled up in his eyes again, and I felt my own heart hurt as he choked, "I can never love anyone as much as I love you, Soph."

…

Sophie sat in the driver's seat, keys in the ignition and her seatbelt on. "Don't think too much about what Eli said. He just gets hurt for my sake and thinks I should never be criticized or scolded." She smiled at me, a shadow of tears in her eyes as she said, "Besides, everything you said about me is true."

"Sophie, I really-"

She placed her hand over my mouth, the same, sad smile on her face. "I told you before, don't apologize. If you apologize, that means you didn't mean it. Now come on, Shaziko should be loitering about somewhere here."

We exited the car and strolled a small park in silence, Sophie's eyes scanning the faces of the other park goers. She stopped on a well-dressed man sitting on a park bench, and she motioned for me to stay where I was.

She pulled three long, shiny pieces of paper from the jacket of her baby blue hoodie before approaching the man from behind. Without a word she held the papers over the man's shoulder, and he placed something in her hand in exchange for them. Then, she returned to me.

"That was a bit easier than I thought it would be." she said, taking my hand and slipping a large, gold ring on my thumb. It had the stamp of a dragon on its face. "This is your ticket in to the auction. If you lose it, I can't guarantee that I can get you in."

"Alright, I got it." I said, adjusting the ring a bit.

She looked to the large clock erected in the middle of the park, and she seemed to relax a bit. "It's not even ten yet, that's good." She smiled. "I don't have anything else to do today, so let's go back home."

Hearing Sophie call the Demon House 'home' made my heart thud in my chest, as I followed her to her car, she seemed to remember something.

"Oh. Hey, Kakeru, can I ask a favor?"

I was a bit apprehensive, wondering why she felt compelled to ask me of all people. "What's the favor?"

She scratched her face a bit sheepishly, blushing as she said, "Well, since you're a prince and all I assume you know all the fancy formal stuff that comes from being a royal, so, uh…" She laughed a bit uncomfortably. "This is so embarrassing to ask, but can you teach me how to waltz?"

…

Sophie and I stood face to face, my left hand clasped in her right and I rested my other hand on her waist, her left hand resting gently on my shoulder. I had attempted to instruct her on his to dance correctly, but she had stepped on my feet so many times and slouched so much I felt my frustration start to get the better of me.

"Okay, time-out. What am I doing wrong?" I asked, stopping.

Sophie sighed, resting her head on my chest. "I don't know. This is so stiff, and I'm not used to it."

I pet her hair, thinking about what I could do to help. When nothing came to me, I decided it would probably be a good idea to let her rest for a bit. "Why don't you just take it easy for a bit? We can practice after you eat lunch and get some rest."

She pulled back from me, smiling. "Yeah, I'm just gonna break your toes at this rate. Thanks, Kakeru."

{…}

I opened the door to my bedroom, and right as I closed the door my eyes were attracted to my bed. The window was open, and a single playing card lay face down on the ground. A stunning, crimson-colored silk dress was lying on my bed. It appeared to be a two-piece, but there was about an inch and a half of sheer lace connecting the top to the skirt.

Next to the dress lay some black lace gloves, and when I slipped them on they reached halfway up my forearm. Several pieces of jewelry sat with it, silver earrings shining beneath the sun's light.

I set the gloves back down, and something I'd missed at first caught my eye. There, just before me, sat the most beautiful mask I'd ever seen. Like my dress, it was crimson with black lace and embroidery. Both black and crimson feathers flared out on the left side, and it flowed perfectly with the dress itself. I smiled as I also noticed two bottles of nail polish on my nightstand.

"Oh Ace, you sure do know how to treat a lady." I said, picking up the Ace of Clubs and sliding it in my dresser drawer with the other Aces.

I exited my room and went to the kitchen, watching as Kakeru and Satoru were talking in the yard. As I observed the ingredients in the fridge and pantry, wondering what I could make with half a jar of peanut butter and ranch dressing powder, the two seemed to notice me and entered the living room.

"Hey, Satoru. Did you have fun this morning?" I asked, grabbing a box of frozen beef patties from the fridge. "How's Meguru's cheek?"

"He's fine, he iced it and you can't even tell he got hit. But more importantly, I went to the convenience store while you were out."

"Oh boy. I am imagine you bought what I said I needed?"

Satoru leaned over the counter, reaching for my chin and lifting it up. "Of course. I can't just leave you hanging."

I grabbed Satoru's hand, and before he could react I placed his index and middle fingers in my mouth, stretching my tongue out far enough to lick his palm. Slowly I pulled his fingers back out, sealing my lips and circling his fingers with my tongue until they escaped with a loud pop. "More like you're just a bit desperate." I replied, releasing his hand and grabbing a pan from the cabinet.

In the split second that I bent down to grab a pan, the two men disappeared from behind the counter. At least, that's what I thought until the sound of repeated, malicious punches filled my ears.

I dropped the pan and ran around the counters, staring in horror as Kakeru mercilessly punched Satoru's face with no intention of stopping. "Kakeru, what are you doing? Stop it!" I yelled grabbing his arm and attempting to keep it from punching Satoru again.

He shoved me and I stumbled back, hitting the dining room table. The commotion seemed to have caused a stir in the other demons, as Meguru, Haruhito, and Shiki came running down the stairs.

"Brother! Brother, stop!" Meguru yelled, attempting to reach Kakeru.

Shiki and Haruhito grabbed his arms, dragging him off of Satoru. I ran to him, helping him sit up as he struggled to orient himself.

"Are you okay? How many fingers am I holding up?" I asked, waving three fingers in front of him.

Satoru held his head in his hands, and as I began to process the situation, I turned to Kakeru angrily.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" I spat, standing and getting in his face.

"Me? What the hell is wrong with you? You've known him less than three days and you're gonna let him fuck you like a dog?" he spat, the look in his eyes one I had never seen before.

I got closer to his face, glaring. "That information isn't relevant to kill me, and frankly, it's none of your fucking business what I do with Satoru, Meguru, Haruhito, Shiki, or anyone else for that matter."

He broke free of the other's grip, his hand gripping my jaw tightly. "Oh, so anyone'll do as long as they fuck you, right?"

I tried to pull away from him, but I was unable to break his grip. "That's none of your business either. Why are you so pissed off, did you actually go and fall in love with me like an idiot?"

"I'm sick of your mouth." Kakeru spat, pulling my face close to him. "I don't appreciate having a loose whore in my house."

A loud slap sounded in the living room, and a redness began to rise in Kakeru's cheek as my hand stung. His hand had released my jaw and I shoved him out of the way of the living room, and without a word to the demons I grabbed my car keys and slammed the front door as hard as I could behind me.

As the demons ran from the house to prevent me from leaving I peeled out of the driveway, speeding as fast as I could down the street. I knew they would fly and follow me, so I called the only person who could help me escape.

…

I pulled into a large parking lot, turning off my car and slapping my cheeks several times before opening the door and scanning the sky for any sign of the demons. When I couldn't spot them I felt a sense of relief wash over me, and I leaned against the side of my car as I waited for my savior to arrive.

"Sophie."

"Leave."

Footsteps approached me, and I did not move. Kakeru leaned against the other side of the car. "I'm sorry."

A pair of footsteps stopped beside me, and I assumed because they were smart enough to shrink their barrier, Kakeru didn't notice them. I stood, locking my car before shoving my keys in my pocket. "Goodbye, Kakeru."

Eli wrapped his arms around me, and as Kakeru turned to face me it was apparent he could not see me. He hit the roof of my car, yelling, "Dammit, Sophie, I can't fix it if you run away from me!"

"Let's go, Eli."

He smiled, his wings spreading out and flapping with a powerful gust, sending us flying through the air and away from Kakeru. Eli hugged me a bit tighter, asking, "What happened, Sophie?"

I recalled Satoru's swollen face and Kakeru's rage-filled eyes, an overwhelming anxiety gripping at my chest. "I messed up, Eli. I messed everything up."

We landed at his doorstep not much longer, and it seemed as if the demons had already looked for me at his place. Eli unlocked the door without a word, and lead me to his bedroom while locking all the doors and windows behind him, drawing the blinds and curtains for extra privacy. I lied on his bed, and shortly after making sure everything was secure he lied next to me, wrapping me in his arms and pulling my head to his chest.

"I'm here, Sophie. My barrier is around us. They can't hurt you here."

I gripped his shirt, and as my lip trembled I couldn't choke down the anxiety and fear clawing at me, the fear I felt when facing Kakeru's rage and the regret I felt for Satoru's injuries. "Why did you all have to fall in love with me?" I asked, tears threatening to fall from my eyes as sobs desperately attempted to escape my throat.

"Are you crying, Soph?" Eli asked, stroking my hair as he wrapped his legs around me.

"I don't cry. You know that." I said. "They both fell in love with me, Eli. Satoru bought condoms because I played with him a bit too much, and Kakeru lost his mind. I'm fucked."

I could tell Eli was smiling. "It's not your fault, Soph. Your tough-and-stubborn exterior and soft-and-cute interior, all packed inside the killer body you have is a recipe for disaster. You're exactly the otherworldly being's type."

I gripped his shirt tighter. "You're just going to hurt. When I die, you're all going to get left behind."

Eli kissed the top of my head. "Just get them to say it, then they can start to cope. If they keep denying it, they're going to destroy themselves."

"I can't deal with the guilt, or the anxiety. I can't mess this up, Eli. But I can't forgive myself for hurting them, and for hurting you."

"You can't blame yourself for us falling in love with you. If we wanted to, we could have stopped it. We're choosing to love you, and if we get hurt, we have to take the blame for that."

My grip on his shirt relaxed, and I felt my anxieties begin to dim. "I'm scared, Eli. I wanted to, but I can't save the world by myself."

He smiled. "I have your back, and I'm sure those idiot demons do, too."

Eli and I lied on his bed for some time, whether it was minutes or hours, and whether I slept or just remained still, I could not tell you. When I felt that I had calmed down, and that I could think clearly, I sat up.

"You okay?" he asked, sitting up with me.

"Not really, but I'm better than I was." I stood and cracked my neck, a wave of relief sending goosebumps down my arms. It was then that a loud, frantic knocking came from the door.

"Elijah, I know you're in there! Where's Sophie?" one of the demons yelled.

"Do you want to ignore him?" Eli asked, standing.

"I don't think it's a good idea to hide from them for much longer, but if it's Kakeru I don't want him near me."

Eli moved to the door, saying, "Alright, just stand behind me. I'll make sure he doesn't come near you."

I followed Eli into the living room, and he opened the door just enough to poke his head out. "What do you want?" he spat.

"Sophie has to be here. Let me see her."

"Making demands of me at a time like this isn't in your favor, Demon Prince. I can't guarantee I know where Sophie is, but depending on your attitude I might be able to help you."

Kakeru was quiet for a moment, before quietly saying, "Please. I'm losing my mind here."

Eli opened the door, and when I met eyes with Kakeru, I was relieved to see he no longer looked at me with rage. He smiled, approaching me, and he held his arms open as he said, "Sophie! I'm so glad you're-"

Eli grabbed Kakeru by the collar, yanking him back toward the door and away from me. "Don't you dare go near her. I'm pissed off at you enough as it is."

Kakeru looked to the floor, before looking back to me. "I'm so glad you're safe. I thought one of the angels had found you, and taken you to Heaven." I thought I saw a hint of tears in his eyes as he said, "I thought I lost you."

I looked away from him. "You're in love with me, aren't you?"

Kakeru was quiet for several moments, finally coming to the conclusion of, "I can't be."

"If you can promise me, cross your heart and swear to your title as Demon Prince that you can go through with killing me in seven days, as well as watch Satoru be in love with me and not meddle in what I do with him, I can go back."

I snuck a peek at Kakeru in his quiet moment, and I was surprised to find that his hands were clenched at his sides, and his brows were knotted so tightly it looked as if it could become stuck that way.

"I can't do that." he replied. He looked at me, and I knew for a fact he had tears in his eyes as he said, "I can't deal with the fact that you could be sleeping with someone else."

"Why don't you just admit it already?" I asked, approaching him and wrapping my arms around his torso. "The sooner you just admit you're in love with me, the sooner you can move on and forget about me."

Kakeru wrapped his arms around me, and with a hoarse voice he whispered, "There's no way I can forget you now, Sophie. I love you too much to do that."

…

It was close to seven in the evening when everyone, including Eli, reconvened at the Demon House. Before any group discussion took place, I grabbed Satoru and brought him into my room alone.

The second the door closed he hugged me from behind, saying, "I was so worried. I thought something happened to you."

"I can't sleep with you, Satoru. I can't let you fall any more in love with me than you already are."

Satoru squeezed me a bit tighter. "We can run away. I can take you somewhere, I don't know where yet, but I'm sure-"

"If you stay with me, Satoru, the virus will kill you too. I'll either die in seven days peacefully, or I'll die of a brain hemorrhage twenty days from now with the fact that I'll take the entire human and animal population down with me on my mind. There's no way out, so please, just let me go."

"How can I let you go when you're right here in my arms?"

"Please."

Satoru's hands were trembling, and he seemed to be crying. "Why'd it have to be you? Why'd you have to be a human, and a toastee no less?"

I rested the back of my head on his shoulder. "Life was never fair, and at times it tends to be cruel."

We returned to the living room, and as Satoru took his place in an armchair I sat beside Eli on a small loveseat. I felt a bit anxious, surrounded by the demons, but as Eli placed his hand on the small of my back I knew he was there not only to protect me but to support me.

"Well, today has definitely been interesting." I said.

Meguru was wringing his hands, apparently nervous. "Sophie, what happened earlier today?"

I smiled. "Why don't you ask Kakeru and Satoru? They're the ones who are in hot water right now."

The others turned to them, and Satoru cracked first.

"I wanted to sleep with Sophie. We fooled around a bit the other day, and I don't know what came over me, but I bought condoms because she said we couldn't do anything without them." Satoru held his face in his hands. "I don't know why I couldn't control myself."

The demons sat in a bit of a shocked silence, but that wasn't all of the story. I cleared my throat, saying, "And you, Kakeru, what happened?"

He had been looking at the ground the entire time he had been home. "When I realized Satoru was saying he wanted to sleep with Sophie, I just snapped."

"So, in a nutshell, both of them are in love with me and I'm dying in seven days." I smiled. "We're in a bit of a sticky situation."

"What are we gonna do about it, then? Are you planning on switching guards?" Shiki asked, visibly annoyed.

"If Kakeru is still the only one who isn't too busy, I don't mind him as my guard. If he's in love with me it just means he has another reason to want to protect me." I said. "Whether or not I die isn't going to be affected by whether or not he's in love with me. But, if it's an issue, I'm sure Eli can protect me for the rest of the- "

"Absolutely not." Kakeru snapped, his gaze finally meeting my eyes. "I was assigned the position of your guard, and I'll see it through to the end."

Eli scoffed. "How great of a guard you are, not noticing when Sophie sneaks out."

I hit Eli's chest, saying, "They didn't know about that, you idiot!"

"What? When did you manage to sneak out?" Meguru asked, confused.

I scratched my chin, looking away from the demons as I replied, "Well, from six-thirty to about one in the morning?"

"What? I walked into your room around ten-thirty and you were asleep!" Kakeru yelled.

"Eli is really good at making extensions look natural." I replied, smiling. "But that's beside the point. What's important is that none on you, including you, Eli, interfere with my death in seven days."

{…}

"You've made that clear, Soph, but it still sucks to say it." Eli said, leaning back into the couch a bit.

Sophie stood, and as she walked toward the kitchen she replied, "I can't say it enough in this situation, appa-"

She didn't finish her sentence, and as I looked to see what had happened to her, she was clutching her stomach in pain and coughing up blood. I jumped up from my chair, kneeling beside her as I tried to figure out what was wrong.

"Sophie, please let me help you. I have healing-"

"I don't need it." she said, a stream of blood dripping from her mouth. "I'm fi-"

She was interrupted by another coughing fit, and as she continued to hack up blood, the others had joined me in circling around her. Eli placed his hand on her back, but before he said anything a grave expression crossed his face.

"Soph, let him help you. If you let this one run its course, your stomach is never going to work right again."

Her eyes widened in shock and she shot up, grabbing my collar with both hands as she said, "Kakeru, my mother. Please, please help my mother!"

Eli had a pained expression as he said, "Soph, your mother has the doctors. She'll be okay, they can give her anticonvulsants and prevent the blood from entering her stomach. Please let us help you."

Sophie's face took on an expression of resignation that I had never seen before, and her hands slowly dropped to her sides. She leaned into me, and just as I wondered what she was thinking I realized she had lost consciousness.

I picked her up and headed towards the staircase. "Meguru, clean up the blood. Shiki, Haruhito, go to the hospital and check on Sophie's mother. Satoru, wet a cloth and see if there's anything she can eat for when she wakes up. If not, go buy something. Eli, come with me."

"Yes, sir." the others called, and Eli followed me up the steps without another word.

After lying Sophie on her bed I set to work on healing her, focusing my powers on repairing the burst blood vessels on the inside of her stomach. Satoru entered moments later with a cloth, setting a damp one on her forehead while using a second one to wipe her face and mouth.

"How bad is it?" Eli asked, holding her hand.

"It's a bit dangerous if left alone, but she didn't burst as many blood vessels as I had expected. It'll take some time, but she'll be fine. As for her mother, we can only hope the doctors are good at what they do."

Eli had tears in his eyes, and as he looked at Sophie they began to fall from his eyes. "She's going to kill me for telling you guys this, but I think it's important for you to understand her a bit more. Kakeru, you've seen the hospital Amelia is in, right?"

"Yes, I have."

"That hospital is one of the most renowned hospitals in the world, and has some of the most high-tech medical equipment available. It's a powerhouse for generating specialists and researchers. Sophie's father was a renowned blood specialist at that facility. Amelia has been cared for full-time by specialists who studied with Sophie's father for nearly five years." He rubbed his face, wiping the tears from his cheeks. "Sophie lived in that little shack because she gives all of her money to the facility. She's single-handedly paid for her mother's insurance and funded her own independent research in the institution to develop a vaccine, and has supplied the institution with what she deems as safe chunks of her father's research. She lives on a budget of five thousand dollars a year, and other than food she pretty much gets everything secondhand or from the free section of Craigslist."

"Why does she do that? I mean, five thousand dollars a year is like nothing." Satoru asked.

"Sophie feels responsible for her mother's pain, because her father started losing his mind after she was born. She feels like it's her fault, and to make up for it she's doing everything she can to ensure her mother's health and happiness."

"She'll surely be mad at you if she finds out you exposed her like that."

We all jumped, and Sophie sat up in bed. Her voice was somehow different, and the way she carried herself was also a bit strange.

"Sorry for scaring you, but since I didn't come around last time I just couldn't wait to meet you."

Eli grabbed Sophie by the shoulders. "I knew it, I sensed something strange. Who are you, and what happened to Sophie?" he yelled, shaking her.

"Hey hey, calm down. Your precious Sophie is safe, just asleep. When she falls unconscious do to my father's antics, I have the opportunity to show myself." She smiled. "Didn't you feel it, Eli? Sophie's soul is incomplete."

"What?" I breathed, not believing my ears. "Incomplete? What are you talking about?"

"You all know Sophie's sister died, yes? Well, it turns out she was never supposed to be listed in the Fate Database precisely because of the consequences of her father's insanity. An angel tried to save her, but was unable to prevent her from getting killed. So, to cover it up he hid the soul and manipulated Sophie's father so that he'd impregnate his wife a second time, and because there was never a second child intended to exist he was able to recycle the same soul. The only issue is that the soul was still tied to its previous identity, so it split when the angel tried to artificially place it."

"The angels managed to hide something that big from us?" I muttered, trying to recall the events of the Angel Realm twenty years prior.

"The angel got found out, and was eliminated. Sophie was placed on a high-priority list, and was watched by angels as she grew up. Then, when she was twelve and began realizing what her father was doing, the angels decided a personal guardian would serve her better than remote observation. Hence why she has a guardian angel."

"Where is the other half of her soul? Her sister?" Eli asked.

"That's not important yet. I'll surely see you men again, but a word of advice. Don't tell Sophie about me, and don't let her know that Eli told you about her spending habits. Let her tell you these things on her own. She's not aware of my presence or what we're saying. She's about to wake up, though, so please just act as if she were sleeping."

"Can we at least know your name?" I asked, hoping to try and find out a bit more about Sophie's situation.

She smiled. "We'll save that for another time. Goodbye, gentleman."

She closed her eyes, and her body completely relaxed. Her brows twitched and she opened her eyes again. She looked around, seeing the three of us.

"You all look like you've seen a ghost. Is my sleeping face that ugly?"

Eli wrapped his arms around her, pulling back with a smile as he said, "I'm glad you're okay, Soph."

"I sent Shiki and Haruhito to check on your mom. Your condition wasn't as bad as I thought it was, and if she has doctors checking up on her she should be fine."

Sophie seemed to relax, and I heard her breathe a sigh of relief. "That's good to hear. How long was I out this time?"

"Maybe fifteen minutes. Are you hungry?" Satoru asked, grabbing some warm chicken noodle soup from the nightstand.

"Not really, but since I hacked up my insides and a ton of blood I guess I should." she replied, taking the soup from Satoru. "So, what happened this time?"

"A couple of blood vessels in your stomach burst. I closed them back up though, so you're fine to eat, but you should still rest for a bit just to get your energy back." I replied.

"Yeah, yeah, take care of myself and all that junk. I get it." she said, blowing on her soup before beginning to eat it.

Eli stood, rubbing Sophie's hair. "I'll be heading home then, I have a couple things to get ready before the auction day after tomorrow. Plus, The Bachelor starts tonight."

Sophie threw a pillow at him. "Don't blow up my phone with drunk messages about how bad you want to fuck the bachelor. I'll block you."

"How cruel! I only get drunk when my favorite contestant goes home."

"Love you, Eels."

He smiled, and as he exited he called over his shoulder, "Love you too, Soph."

Sophie then placed the mostly-empty bowl of broth on her nightstand. "So, what are you two gonna do? Are you going to try and think of a way to keep me alive, or are you going to focus of trying to get rid of your feelings for me?"

"Well obviously we want to keep you alive if we can." Satoru replied.

She sighed. "And what if I live? Do you want me to choose one of you? What happens if I fall in love with someone else?"

"Your hypothetical scenarios aren't going to make us stop loving you, Sophie. We just have to figure out how we're going to deal with it, and you don't have to worry about that."

She looked at me with a blank expression, and without a word she laid back down in her bed and covered herself with the comforter. "If you say so. I'm going to sleep, if you guys don't mind."

Satoru and I took the hint, and after closing the door behind us Satoru spoke.

"I'm not giving up on her, Kakeru. I want her."

I turned to face him. "Well, I'm not giving up on her either. You better prepare yourself."

We glared at each other, and after coming to an understanding we both turned on our heels and proceeded to our respective rooms.


	5. Chapter 5

6 Days Until I'm Toast…

…

I woke up at four on the morning as I always did, but instead of getting up right away I took some time to think. I mulled over the past few days and thought about what I still needed to do, and I wondered if I had planned the next six days well enough.

"Well, there's no point worrying about it at this point." I said, standing. I suited up, pulling my hair back into a tight bun, and as I made my way to the living room I noticed Kakeru sitting on the couch with a book in his hand. His cheek rested on his free hand, and he was sound asleep. I thought that worked out better for me anyway, and as I quietly exited through the front door, I realized I had never retrieved my car.

"Guess I have to call a cab." I said to myself, pulling out my phone and thanking the lord that I had never claimed the five dollar reward I had gotten for signing up for Uber. My driver pulled up moments later and took me straight to Eli's house, and I paid the driver a cash tip with the remaining bills in my wallet. Once they took off, I wondered if I had enough time to do what I needed to do.

I picked the lock to Eli's house, and once it opened I was relieved to have an empty foyer greet me. His soft snoring could be heard from the couch, and after I nearly tripped on an empty bottle of Rosé I knew I had plenty of time.

Still a bit cautious I made my way to the bedroom, opening his closet and entering the combination to a large safe I had stored there years earlier. Inside were several handguns and holsters designed for concealed carry. I grabbed two thigh straps and one for the lower back. I debated which handguns I would take, but after considering how many bullets I would probably need and how much space I had to work with I made my decision. After grabbing enough ammo I closed the second safe, and just as quietly as I entered I exited the house.

I was smart enough to put everything in a bag before I left, and I caught the bus outside of Eli's house and rode it to the park-and-ride lot I had left my car in the night before. I was pleasantly surprised to find that it had not been broken into, and without further ado I made my way back to the Demon House.

Upon entering I saw Kakeru was still asleep, and it appeared that none of the other demons were awake either. Silently I hurried up the stairs and I stashed the bag in my closet, throwing a bundle of blankets over it to hide it. Then, after changing into a pair of black leggings and throwing on a muscle shirt, I went downstairs to wake Kakeru.

"Good morning sunshine, I need to ask a favor."

Kakeru jumped, surprised, and the book fell to the floor. "What? What happened?"

I picked up the book from the floor, and as my eyes caught the title, I paused. "Kakeru… you bought my book?"

A bit of color rose in his cheeks, and he looked away from me. "Well, the woman I love wrote it. Why wouldn't I read it?"

My heart thumped in my chest and I felt my cheeks burn. "That's cheating." I said, turning and heading to the kitchen.

Kakeru followed me, smiling. "Oh, did that get you? Are you happy I'm reading your book?"

"We need to go grocery shopping. There's almost no food in this house." I replied, dodging the question as I typed out a grocery list on my phone.

Kakeru's arms wrapped around me, and he kissed my neck. "I just wanted to know more about you, and I thought reading your book would bring me just a little bit closer to you."

"Please, Kakeru. Don't do this."

He moved the collar of my shirt, taking the thick strap of my sports bra along with it. Before I could ask what he was doing he began nipping and sucking at the skin, my head spinning as the slight pain was drowned out by the warmth of his arms and lips.

He pulled away, and a dark, purple mark had already begun to form. As he replaced the strap of my sports bra his other hand touched the skin exposed by my muscle shirt. "I bet that by the time that mark disappears, I can make you fall in love with me."

"Oh, my love is a wager now, is it?" I asked, moving away from him. "I have the shopping list. Are you coming with me?"

"Of course. I'm your guardian, after all."

…

"So in Chapter Seven, that's your first year of high school, right? You've been doing thief work since you were fourteen?" Kakeru asked, pushing the cart as we perused the isles of the grocery store.

"Well, I learned my father was stealing research and I knew how to use Google. I contacted some of the people who he stole research from and eventually I branched out into infiltrating black market auctions and other goods as I got older." I placed some produce in the cart and eyed the frozen meats section, double checking my list before piling in some bacon, sausage, and premade biscuits.

"Didn't you get hurt doing that?"

"Of course. I have a gunshot scar on my thigh, and I have a really big knife scar on my back." I smiled, placing a couple cartons of ice cream in the cart. "You read about that in Chapter Twelve."

"How… how did you get the scar?" Kakeru asked, grabbing several chip bags from the snack shelves.

"The gunshot one was just because I didn't notice the person I was trying to steal from had a gun, but as for the knife wound, that one is why Eli is so protective of me." I squished several loaves of bread, and picked the softest one. "We were on a stealth mission, and it was Eli's first big mission after insisting that I didn't do it by myself anymore. Just as we were about to snatch the item we wanted someone ambushed us, and they went after Eli with a knife. I didn't have enough time to do anything but throw myself in front of him." I smiled, looking down at the loaf of garlic bread I was holding. "He feels responsible for it, even though I was the one who allowed him to come knowing it was a risky idea to bring him. He just gets the look on his face when he sees it, and I know he feels guilty."

Kakeru had a strange expression on his face. "You really do love him."

"Eli is my best friend. He's been there for me since I was twelve. He's the only person who hasn't abandoned me, other than my mother." I laughed to myself. "He's still living like we're in college, but he's more responsible than I give him credit for. I just use his Rosé weakness to my advantage a little too often."

…

When Kakeru and I returned from the grocery store, Satoru and Meguru were loitering in the living room. Haruhito was outside with Cerby, and I assumed Shiki was asleep in his room.

"Wonderful, you two aren't busy. Whoever helps unload and put away groceries gets extra servings for breakfast." I said, setting several grocery bags on the counter.

I didn't expect all the demons to help out, but because of it I was able to start breakfast a little early. For some time I had craved American style breakfast, so I threw the bacon and sausage into separate pans and began frying them as the oven preheated. Meguru put the biscuits in the oven when it was ready and buttered all the slices of toast, and he even helped set the table and put out the different jams. By the time all the demons were seated and awaiting breakfast, I had an impressive spread of bacon, sausage, eggs, biscuits, gravy, and toast.

"You guys can thank Kakeru for this nice spread. He gave me a nice budget for grocery shopping." I said, placing the last bits down. "Enjoy."

"You're still not gonna eat with us, even with this much food?" Satoru asked, patting the empty seat next to him.

I contemplated the consequences of sitting with the demons and enjoying my breakfast for once instead of just eating enough for sustenance. But, when I considered I was dying anyway, I figured I might as well have a bit of fun with what time I had left. So I grabbed myself a large plate and sat beside Satoru. "Just one day won't kill me. Plus, there's biscuits and gravy so it's okay." I said, grabbing three biscuits from the pyramid and drowning them in gravy.

For the first time in a long time, I enjoyed a meal. The food was delicious, the banter was hilarious, and I found myself feeling happy despite the impending reality. I remembered just one instance of sitting down with my own family and eating breakfast together, and as I recalled the many, many instances of me simply sitting at home alone with a bowl of rice, I wished that I had the opportunity to experience things like this more often before I died.

After breakfast Kakeru once again attempted to teach me how to waltz. And I, once again, accomplished little more than just making his toes hurt. In frustration he released me, sitting and rubbing his toes through his shoes.

"What am I doing wrong here? Do you really just suck at dancing this much?" he asked.

"I was never good at it, and I never said I would be." I replied, plopping down on the grass. "Maybe I should just stay out of the waltz. That'll make getting close to the host difficult, though."

Kakeru sighed, and sat down beside me. "What can I do to make this easier for you?"

I thought for a moment, and a strange idea popped into my head. "Okay. This might sound totally stupid, but can we spar while following the steps of the waltz?"

…

After nearly two hours of improvised choreographing, sparring, and yelling, I had finally retained enough of the steps, however ungraceful and rugged, to reach the point at the end of the dance where Kakeru dipped me. I felt such a rush of pride and accomplishment that I hugged him, despite being sweaty and out of breath, saying, "Thank you, Kakeru."

He hugged me back, pulling me up to stand. "Of course. This is the least I can do."

We returned to the living room, the other demons all poking fun and how I'd actually landed a few hits on Kakeru. I made fun with them, and after drinking a bit of water I heard my phone ring. The number on screen wasn't one I had saved, and I answered with an apprehensive, "Hello?"

"Hello, is this Sophie Thompson?" the voice on the other line asked.

"Yes, who is this?"

"Hi, I'm Doctor Iyame, Amelia Lane's personal physician. I'm calling to inform you that your mother left us this morning. Despite being in stable condition after a few blood vessels burst in her stomach, it seems that the attack was more severe than I'd realized, and her heart gave out despite my best efforts. I offer my sincerest apologies."

I was quiet. Kakeru seemed to notice my sudden quietness and motioned for the other demons to be quiet.

I felt a lump forming in my throat, but I managed to say, "I see. There was nothing you could have done. Thank you for everything you've done for her."

"She did ask me to relay a message. She said to tell you, 'I'm glad you finally found someone who makes you happy'."

After a small conversation he hung up, but I didn't move the phone from my ear. I just sat there in disbelief and shock.

"Who was that?" Haruhito asked.

I pursed my lips, and the phone slid from my grasp. It clacked on the floor loudly, and I did my best to keep my voice even. "…It was the physician."

"A physician?" I heard Satoru say worriedly.

The room was deathly quiet, and I felt my hands clench into tight, trembling fists. Before I realized what I was doing I was screaming, my fist buried in the drywall of the living room wall. I couldn't tell if my screams were just a frustrated mix of pained noise or the many, many curse words that were flowing through my mind.

I was pulled from the wall, my shoulders being held tightly as Kakeru's iron grip and unwavering gaze somehow managed to stabilize me enough for my ears to start functioning again.

"Sophie! What happened?"

I felt rage and despair fighting with each other inside of me, the fact that my father had purposely amped up the severity of the attacks and the crushing news of my mother's passing too much to bear. My will gave out and I could not prevent the tears from spilling down my cheeks, the droplets dripping onto the hardwood for all the demons to see. "My mother is dead."

The demons looked in shock, and I covered my face with my hands.

"He killed her… he amped up the virus and killed her…" I could feel sobs beginning to build up in my throat. "I'll kill him. I'm going to make him pay for everything he's done. I'll spill his blood on the floor, and smile as he begs at my fingertips."

Kakeru's arms wrapped around me, and as I began to process that I would never see my mother again, never hear her voice, never again feel the warmth of her hands, I could do nothing but cry.

I woke to the feeling of a weight on my stomach and a warmth on my hand. As I opened my swollen eyes, I saw Satoru sleeping peacefully on my stomach as Kakeru's hand held mine.

"Is this how you two are compromising for now?" I asked, looking at Kakeru. I noticed he was still reading my book, and he was at the beginning of the fourteenth chapter.

"It's not really a compromise. We just were too distracted with worry to think about fighting." Kakeru replied, closing the book and shaking Satoru to wake him up.

"I'm changing my plans." I said, thinking about just how much I could pack my schedule. "Instead of killing my father six days from now, I'll kill him in three days. I can advance everything up from then."

"Hey hey hey, aren't you being a little hasty with that decision?" Satoru asked, resting his hand on my thigh. "Just relax today, and we can make decisions tomorrow."

"Tomorrow I have the auction. The next day I have something to do, and after that my father should be at his only remaining lab. I can kill him then."

"And what about the two days left over?" Kakeru asked.

I paused, wondering what I would do in a world without my father. "Well, I can probably just be normal until it's time for me to die."

…

Soft music played through my knockoff headphones as I leafed through the documents in my drawer, taking notes in a separate binder to give to the vaccine researchers. I thought about opening the Prada X Elite and just typing up briefs as I usually did, but considering I was going to die in mere days I found it a bit wasteful. If I ended up finding my notes insufficient I could always just black out parts of the original documents I didn't intend for the world to see.

It also helped keep me occupied, as I didn't necessarily want to waste my time in a puddle of tears due to my mother's untimely death. It didn't stop them from falling, of course, but I wanted to believe it was the thought that counted in the end. After getting through a decent chunk, I figured the demons were probably hungry and were in dire need of lunch.

I didn't bother to wipe the tears from my eyes as I descended the staircase and surveyed the ingredients I had selected. Everyone knew why I was crying, and I hoped they had enough tact to not bring it up. For lunch I decided on making oyakodon simply because it was easy, delicious, and something I could make a lot of in a short amount of time. The smell of food summoned the demons from their rooms, the bunch cautiously proceeding down the steps and peeking into the kitchen as if they were sneaky and I hadn't noticed them.

"I'm almost done. I have oyakodon and miso soup, but I can make something a bit heavier if you guys are really hungry." I said, checking the miso to make sure it wasn't overcooking.

The demons sat in their respective seats, chatting quietly while they waited for me to finish up. Within a few minutes they had all been served, and as I cleaned up the kitchen I felt a presence behind me.

"Are you feeling okay?"

I looked at Kakeru, the rest of the demons cautiously eyeing our encounter. "Yeah, I just figured you guys needed lunch. I'm going to my room." I replied, grabbing my bowl of rice and a smaller bowl of miso soup.

"Why don't you sit with us? We can help get your mind off of-"

"Kakeru, please." I said, turning my back to him. "Just leave me be."

When he did not respond, I assumed he understood. Without another word I retreated to my room, picking at the bowl of rice as I continued to synthesize the research I had stolen.

About an hour later a soft knock came from my door, and through the last thing I wanted to do was give the demons another glimpse of my swollen, tear-streaked face, I figured if they came to talk to me after what I had said it must have been something important.

"It's open."

The door opened and closed again, whichever one of the demons having entered not saying a word.

"If you're worried about me, don't be. I won't be alive long enough to feel hurt about it."

"Soph…"

My shoulders tensed and I turned to face the door, and instead of one of the somber-faced demons, I was greeted by a similarly tear-streaked angel.

"...They told you?" I asked, a fresh wave of hot tears blurring my vision.

Eli's arms wrapped around me, his broad, fluffy wings encompassing my whole body in the slight warmth his body always had. "I'm sorry, Soph. I'm so sorry."

I buried my head in his shoulder, clutching the fabric of his shirt and I began to sob. "How did I let it get this bad, Eli? Why did I wait so long?"

He pet my hair and shushed me, rocking me lightly as he said, "You know you had to destroy everything else before you kill him. Doing it sooner would have made eradicating the virus impossible."

"My mom didn't deserve this. She did nothing but love him, and I couldn't save her!" I cried, cursing myself for what must have been the millionth time.

Eli squeezed my shaking shoulders, pulling me closer to him. "I know, Soph. It's not fair. Trust me, I know."

{…}

When Sophie's sobs had stopped, her shoulders no longer shook, and the well of tears had run dry, the sun had long set. I had sensed several of the demons pressing their ears to the door, hoping to get a sense of her current state, but once they caught the sound of her sobbing, they quickly retreated.

"Eli."

"Yes, Soph?" I asked, still petting her hair.

"Do you want to stay for dinner? I'm sure everyone is hungry." she said, pulling away from me and wiping her eyes.

I smiled. "Of course! You never cook of me anymore, if I see one more Domino's box I'm going to puke."

She hit me lightly on the chest, a hint of a smile on her face as she stood. "You have to help. I was thinking of hamburg steak for dinner since lunch was light, maybe with stir-fried veggies. For the rice I can mix in the extra miso broth for flavor."

"I can do the veggies and mix in the miso broth, but you have to do the meat. Your steak is the best."

Her eyes met mine, and after a moment a soft smile spread on her face. "Love you, Eels."

I smiled back. "Love you too, Soph."

Once the smell of steak began drifting through the house the demons began to float into the kitchen, cautious and a bit worried, but with my amazing ability to bring out the best in Sophie I had her laughing and smiling as she cooked. She acted as her normal self, making witty quips at me as I tried to pester her, and though I knew she was nowhere near stable, she was at least holding it together for the demons.

"Why did you give me the bowl with the vegetables you messed up? They're either over-seasoned and mushy or burnt to a crisp." Sophie asked, holding a blackened carrot between her chopsticks.

"That bowl was meant for Kakeru." I replied, smiling sweetly.

She rolled her eyes, placing the carrot back in its bowl. "This really isn't the best time, but since both you and Kakeru are here I want to talk about the auction tomorrow."

"Oh, she's serious again." Satoru commented.

"As I mentioned at Eli's house, there's an assassin currently hunting me down. He will be at the auction tomorrow, but will not make any moves against me until after the auction is concluded. I have been instructed to steal something specific from the show floor, and if I do not comply he is threatening to kill a pregnant woman. I will be speaking with him several times over the night, and I will be referring to him as Barrett Rogers." She rubbed her face, saying, "I really don't know who hired him, but I have an inkling suspicion it's the host of tomorrow night's auction. I've stolen valuable pieces from his black market auctions before, so it's not unlikely that he wants to take me out."

"Barrett Rogers?" I repeated, recalling a face I hadn't seen in years.

She gave me a look that confirmed my suspicions, but also told me not to say anything. She leaned back in her chair, continuing, "I will warn you that I am willingly walking into a trap Barrett has laid out, and though I don't know what it is I assume that with the both of you with me I'll make it out fine. In order for this to work, however, you must let me walk into the trap, and you must let the trap door close behind me. Can I trust that you two will allow me to put myself in danger, and can I also trust that you will work together to keep me safe?"

"Sophie-" Kakeru began, looking as if he were going to protest.

"If you cannot promise me that, Kakeru, I am more than willing to take Satoru in your place." she said, her arms crossed over her chest. "My mother is dead. I'm not fucking around anymore, so if you won't listen to me I'll use someone who will. So what'll it be, Kakeru?"

His fists were clenched beneath the table, out of Sophie's line of vision, and he stared down at his clenched hands for a moment. I knew it was particularly tough for him to consider following someone else's orders, as he had always put on an alpha male personality. But, he surprised me.

"Alright. But if you get hurt, all bets are off."

Sophie smiled. "Thanks, Kakeru." She turned to me. "Do you want me to walk you out?"

"Sure." I replied, knowing she meant she had something she wanted to say to me in private. Once we were at the gate, far from the front door, she spoke.

"Did any of them follow us?"

"No, not that I could tell. Is this that serious?"

She grabbed my arms, looking at me seriously. "I'm going to die two days early. Once my father is dead, I'm having the demons toast me."

"Sophie-!"

Her hand clamped itself over my mouth, her free hand holding a finger above her lips. "Shut up, Eli. I don't want Satoru or Kakeru to fall any more in love with me, and if I'm going to die anyway I'd rather not have to deal with knowing my mother is dead for two more days. You should know I feel like absolute shit, and it may be a cowards way out, but I don't want to hurt anymore." She gripped my arms a little tighter, the tears I thought she had finally exhausted brimming her bottom lid. "I'm so sick of hurting. Eli. I want to leave this life behind, and start again. I want to see the world without my father's virus with fresh eyes."

I hugged her, and as her shaking hands rested on my back, I realized I really didn't have a choice nor a say in the matter. "You know I'm weakest to your tears. If that's what you want, Soph, I'll be there and take your soul up with Haruhito."

"Thank you, Eli. Make sure I get there safe."

Once I returned home, I didn't even bother to grab a bottle of rosé and turn on the premiere of Big Brother. Instead I laid in bed, curled up under a mountain of blankets, and cried.


	6. Chapter 6

5 Days Until I'm Toast…

…

When I woke, I felt as if I had been punched in the face multiple times the previous night. My eyes were swollen and still slightly red, the tissue sensitive to the touch. As I quite literally rolled out of bed and faced the mirror in the far corner of the room, I physically struggled to not laugh at how pathetic I looked.

I didn't bother to try to fix my face or hair as I knew Eli would change anything I tried to do, and I wasn't due to arrive at his house until around noon. But, as a bit of a helpful remedy, I took a hot bath to relax and used some cooling under-eye pads along with a face mask I had picked up on Kakeru's dime. When I exited the bath I felt my face looked a bit more tight, and the warm water helped relax my hair a bit. Then, once I dried off, I began painting my nails with the two bottles Ace had left me.

It was nearing six o'clock, and as I flipped absentmindedly through one of the random books stored away in the demon's bookshelf I heard footsteps descending the staircase. Satoru appeared, and sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck before taking a seat beside me. I continued to flip through the book, waiting for him to speak first.

"Sorry."

I smiled. "It's alright. There's nothing to do about it now."

He rubbed his hands together, looking to the floor. "Are you planning a funeral?"

"There'll be a small one held tomorrow morning. A few of her close friends and my aunt's family will be there, but she really lost touch with a lot of people when she started getting sick." I closed the book, laughing a bit to myself. "If death hurts this much, I'm glad she didn't have to deal with mine."

Satoru held my hand, and for the first time I met his eyes. He looked at me with a sincerity I hadn't seen in a long time, and I could feel my defenses starting to break down.

"I feel a bit like I lied to her. Kakeru took it upon himself to pretend we were engaged, and I let her believe I had a long life ahead of me. She left everything to me in her will - her house, her assets, literally everything in her name is mine. I never visited her as much as I could have, and I never tried to reach out to her friends as she started getting sicker." I pressed my hand to my face, covering my eyes. "She must have been so lonely in that room. She always pretended she was happy in front of me, but the last few years of her life must have been so, so sad."

Satoru pulled on my hand, taking me into his arms. "I'm sorry. I saw this happening, but if Kakeru didn't stay and help you, you would've died instead. I'm sorry, Sophie. Really, I'm so, so sorry."

I took a deep breath, trying my best not to make my eyes any more puffy than they already were. "What did you see in my future, Satoru? If you knew I was going to die, why did you fall in love with me anyway?"

"When I saw your future, I originally saw you struggling to claw your way across the grass after being badly injured by the blast we tampered with. You made it all the way back to your car using nothing but your left arm and a portion of your right arm. Even with no legs you still kept going, and for some reason I wanted to know why."

"And after that?"

He squeezed my shoulders as he continued, "When you kissed me, I saw an encounter between you and the assassin. From what I could tell, you let him kill you."

"What about now, Satoru? What's my fate?"

He was quiet for a moment, but after some time he spoke in a pained whisper. "The farthest I can see now is that you're asking us to toast you, and Elijah is there with us. Everyone is in tears, but you have such a sad, cold look on your face."

"Can you all do it, Satoru? Will Kakeru separate my soul and hand it over to Eli? Or will I have to take my own life by force?"

He squeezed me tighter. "I can't tell. Kakeru raises his hand, but I can't see anything after that."

"...Why did you fall in love with me, Satoru? Why did you choose me?"

"I didn't choose. Before I even realized it was too late. I couldn't stop it, and even now, it's taking everything I have to do nothing more than hold you."

I pursed my lips, and I couldn't stop myself from being a bit pathetic. "In the next life, do you think I'll be lucky enough to know what it feels like to love somebody?"

"Knowing you? You'll have more love in your life than you'll know what to do with." he replied, chuckling.

"Well then, I better hurry up and move on then." I said, standing. "If the next life is going to be better, I better hurry up and finish this one." I turned back to face him, and saw Kakeru at the foot of the stairs. "Perfect timing! Kakeru, I wanted to let you know there's been a change of plans. I'd like to be toasted day after tomorrow, instead of in four days from now."

"Sophie, that's not what I meant-" Satoru said, standing from the couch.

"I decided on this last night. Your words were just a bit of comfort, Satoru." I replied, smiling. "Plus, the sooner I'm gone, the sooner you two and Eli can start to let me go."

"What if we don't want to?"

I looked at Kakeru, who had an expression on his face that I hadn't seen before. He looked angry and serious, yet somehow calm and collected. I smiled wider, saying sweetly, "Well then, there are plenty of ways for me to off myself. A big enough bullet through the roof of my mouth should do the trick."

"I hate it when you talk like that." he replied, crossing his arms over his chest.

"What do you two want for breakfast? I can make pretty much anything." I said, walking past Kakeru into the kitchen. "How about rice, grilled fish, miso soup, and tamagoyaki? A little boring, but still pretty good."

"I can make breakfast this morning, Sophie. Don't you have the auction today?" Meguru asked, walking into the kitchen from the stairs.

"Kakeru and I don't have to be at Eli's house until noon. But if you want to make breakfast, that'll help me out a bit."

"Of course! Leave it to me."

I smiled and hugged Meguru, thanking him before returning to my room and calling the funeral hall director.

…

At around eleven-thirty I flopped down onto the couch, scrolling on my smartphone through a wall of messages from my aunt and several of my mother's friends. I threw my phone onto the coffee table, having shut it off beforehand, and heaved a heavy sigh.

"Planning a funeral on a budget sucks. If I had to buy a casket and all that other shit I'd shoot myself."

Meguru, Haruhito, and Satoru were in the living room, and they each looked at me as I spoke.

"Are you not using a casket? How are you going to display your mother's body?" Meguru asked.

"My mom has already been cremated. I'm displaying her urn, so now all that's left is to finalize the flower arrangements. Luckily for me my aunt owns a flower shop so I'm getting the arrangements on a discount, but a full-blown funeral is going to be at least five grand." I sighed. "I've already spent almost three grand for flowers, the funeral home, her cremation, and her obituary. Luckily I can skip out on most of the other stuff, but still."

"You're lucky. Many humans can't afford funerals without loans." Haruhito replied, smiling.

I grimaced, not wanting to reveal that I really didn't have that much money because I gave 99.9% of my earnings to the hospital but also not wanting to act like I was rich but cheap. "Yeah, I guess you're right." I replied, standing. "Now before Kakeru gets mad, I'm gonna go get ready."

Once inside my bedroom I locked the door and made sure none of the demons were loitering, as there were several special items I didn't want them to know about. The first of which was the outfit change everyone was sure to notice, changing from Ace's lovely ensemble to a trendy suit. I switched to a crimson blazer and slacks, coupling those with a black belt, a plunging v-neck blouse, and the black Louboutin stilettos Ace had given me originally. I also kept his silver jewelry and polish, but I had a second surprise up my sleeve.

I tucked a glock into a shoulder harness, and my backup pistol into a small ankle harness. Though I wished I was able to take some of the more powerful guns in case of a larger ambush, I knew I only had so much space for guns and nowhere near enough space for ammo. I told myself many times that I would just have to trust Eli and Kakeru, but that didn't help calm my nerves as much as I hoped it would. After checking that every button and clip was secured, I made my way back to the living room.

Satoru whistled, a laugh escaping my lips. "Damn, Sophie! Every time you dress up, I'm floored!"

"Give me your cell number and I'll send you pictures of my makeup once it's done. I'm thinking about telling Eli to glam me up."

The other demons laughed, Meguru replying, "Satoru doesn't have a cellphone. He doesn't like technology."

I clicked my tongue. "Fine, I'll just post them to my Snapchat story and show you later. Let's just hope Kakeru is-"

"That I'm what?"

I turned and was pleased to find Kakeru already dressed, his tie and pocket square matching my suit. "Ah, you're ready! Great, Eli should have plenty of time if we leave now. I'm letting him do whatever he wants to my face today, considering it's the last time he can do it."

The demon's faces changed, but I chose to ignore it. I grabbed Kakeru by the arm and dragged him out the front door, waving goodbye to the strangely somber group and closing the door behind me.

Kakeru didn't say a word all the way to Eli's house, and even as I opened the door and he greeted us, he said nothing.

Eli started on Kakeru's hair and makeup first, since it was just simple contouring and a bit of gel work. Kakeru didn't protest, strangely, and Eli seemed to notice.

"Did you finally whip the demon prince into shape? I'm impressed!" he joked, smiling.

"I hope this doesn't drag on as long as the last one. I scheduled mom's funeral for seven in the morning because I'm stupid." I said, ignoring Eli's comment. "Are you gonna make it, Eels? I know Keeping up with the Kardashians airs tonight."

"Oh, this episode they reveal when everyone found out about Tristan cheating! It's going to be spicy!" he leaned into Kakeru, saying, "You know, I filled in your brows a bit but I think with some highlighter-"

"Alright, hurry up with the setting spray. We still have to do me."

He rolled his eyes. "I already know your hair and makeup is going to take an hour at most. You're always 'Miss Natural' so you don't stand out-"

"Eli."

He turned to look at me, and I smiled.

"You can glam me up as much as you want."

{...}

Eli spent a good two and a half hours on Sophie's hair and makeup, but when she turned around I almost didn't recognize her. Her facial structure looked completely different, and her hair had been put up in a somewhat messy but still intricate looking curly ponytail. At least, that's what I thought it was called.

As Sophie observed Eli observed his work, visibly pleased. "So, for makeup I went with a glitter cut-crease, a bold wing, and lashes for the eyes. I picked a matte black lip for a bit of edginess and a more brown blush to sharpen your contour even more. I went heavy on contouring and highlight, just to give that angular kick and sell the glam look." He smiled. "Of course, for hair I went with a bit more intricate messy updo, but with delicate curls for a nice, soft aesthetic. I think the two mesh well, personally, but there won't be any tabloids covering this event for feedback."

"Thank you, Eels. I guess glam isn't all that bad sometimes." Sophie said, a soft smile on her face. "Now I assume you're going to touch yourself up while we wait for the car?"

"Uh, of course." he replied, already holding a fanned brush in his hand and brushing it against his cheekbone.

Sophie turned to me and smiled. "So, what do you think? Nice? Or are you one of those guys who prefers natural looks?"

"For you? I think you look amazing no matter how much or how little makeup is on your face."

She smiled, almost laughing. "Ooh, smooth. What do you think about him being nice for once, Eels?"

"My work makes the hearts of demons pure! Praise me, and bestow upon my greatness likes on my Instagram and many a screenshot from my Snap Story!"

Sophie laughed and sat beside me, pulling out her phone and leaning in close to me. "Take a picture with me. Meguru gave me his cell number, and he said he'd show Satoru for me."

"Oh, I'm all in for a photo op!" Eli exclaimed, jumping in on the other side of me while also leaning in close.

Sophie held out her camera and the two posed, so I simply lowered my chin a bit and grabbed my tie. She took a couple shots, and after evaluating the three she held up the second one.

"I think this one is the best. Do you guys approve of me posting it and sending it?"

"My contour looks sharp in that picture, so I approve." Eli replied. "Let me know if the car gets here, I'm gonna change really fast."

Sophie showed me the screen as Eli's bedroom door closed, and she asked, "What do you think? Is your scowl your default modeling pose?"

I laughed. "At least I didn't open my mouth to make my lips look bigger."

She pulled the phone back in front of her, sharing the photo on several different social medias as she said, "I'll take that as a yes, then." About a minute later her phone pinged, and she laughed. "Shiki sent me a video of Satoru's face. He's blushing all the way to his ears."

I felt a bit of jealousy cropping up, but before I could say anything Eli emerged from his bedroom.

"The car is here!" he proclaimed. "I just got the text."

"Oh, no wonder your tie is a four-in-hand. I thought you were better than that, Eels." Sophie teased, standing. "I'm almost embarrassed to be seen with you."

He rolled his eyes. "Lucky for you your date had time to tie a Windsor. Now hurry up, let's go!"

As I headed to the door Sophie linked arms with me, and before I could question her she said, "I have to pretend to be ladylike for a bit. Don't blush too hard."

{...}

The car arrived at the venue about five minutes before the doors were scheduled to open, and several people loitered about in the grand courtyard in front of the house. Each of them were dressed in the finest clothes, the most expensive designers paraded like commoner's clothes. I reached into Eli's inner blazer pocket and removed two cufflinks, securing them into the cuffs of Kakeru's tux.

"What are these for?" he asked, confused.

"If someone asks, say they're from Asprey. Its code, for you're looking mostly at paintings tonight. I'll need you to evaluate that room while I talk to Barrett." I replied. "Look for three paintings with KM engraved into a small plaque on the frame."

"Oh, I almost forgot about that." Eli said, looking at his own cufflinks. "I can probably get in with him and secure the paintings, but I need a safe place to hide them."

"There's a small closet behind the west wing bathroom. If you put them there, we can sneak in through the side entrance as everyone is leaving." I looked to my shoes and said, "Unfortunately he gave me Louboutins, so that means I'm the only one who has access to the jewelry showcase before it's time for the auction. I can probably check it out after I talk to Barrett, and I'll meet you both in the ballroom. Does that work?"

"No objections." Eli replied.

Kakeru looked reluctant but said, "Yeah, that's fine."

"Great." I said, linking my arm once again with Kakeru's. I made sure he had the ring I had given him placed on his thumb, and after checking that my own was secured, we moved to the now open front doors.

At first glance one wouldn't suspect the grand banquet being held was simply a cover for an underground black market auction. Exquisite wines occupied the hands of rich people, all chatting snootily about rich people things as far as the eye could see. I heard bits about the yacht club and even a few fragments about the cutthroat tactics of big business. THrough the chatter, I heard one of only two voices that mattered.

"Miss Thompson, pleasure seeing you here."

I turned, and through a plain black mask I saw the sharp, cunning eyes of an assassin. He held a doe-eyed woman by the waist, a slight bump protruding through her black dress. I couldn't place a gun anywhere between the two, but I knew the woman was being threatened by the look of terror on her face.

"Nice seeing you too, Angela, Barrett." I replied, watching to make sure Kakeru and Eli heard his name.

Barrett flinched, but covered it up with a smile. "Miss Thompson, may I speak with you a moment outside?"

I smiled back. "Certainly. Kakeru, Eli, please stay here and keep Angela company. We'll be back shortly."

"Of course." Eli replied, smiling with a feigned pleasantness. He took Angela's hand, and as Barrett and I walked out to the side courtyard, her look of terror shifted to one of relief. The assassin lead me quite a bit a ways from the main house, out to a small tool shed hidden from view. Once he was sure nobody was around, he made his move.

He pushed me against the wall and held my neck tightly, glaring fiercely at me. "I want you to tell me how you know my name, and I want to know now." he snarled.

If my breathing wasn't restricted, I would have laughed. But due to the circumstances I decided to get straight to the point. "Your name is Barrett Roger, and you use the alias Ace. You're an assassin only because you have to pay medical bills for your sister, and she knows nothing about your job. She thinks you're a structural engineer, and that you're currently building a massive-"

A dull pain made my vision a bit blurry, and it took me a moment to realize Ace had rammed the back of my head into the wall.

"How do you know this?" he exclaimed, anger in his eyes.

"Your sister Lillith is in Shinkou Hospital with a rare blood disorder, and has had multiple operations. You two don't have insurance, but as you've noticed as of late your bills have come up paid in full by an anonymous donor."

His brow scrunched, and he seemed to be making the connection I was about to spell out.

"I'm the sole founder of Shinkou Hospital and its affiliated research programs. And, as of three years ago, your sister's financial donor."

Ace looked lost, and his hands slowly fell to his sides. "Why… are you doing this?"

"What? What are you saying at a time like this? I'm talking about killing you!"

"And I'm asking about cards. Do you still have that card deck?"

"I don't know what you're talking about. I have a lot of card decks."

"About three years ago I met a kid crying in the operation waiting room, and his darling little sister was undergoing her first major operation after the sudden death of her parents. I played cards with him until the operation light went off, and the surgeon declared the operation a success. As a good luck charm, I gave him the beat up deck of cards I had held onto for years." I smiled. "Do you still have that card deck?"

He looked to my hands, a strange sadness in his eyes. "The Aces I gave you are from that deck. I...I always use them for these types of jobs."

"That was your first card deck, wasn't it?"

"Yeah."

I pulled out the three Aces he left with me, smiling at him. "I'll be looking forward to the Ace of Spades." With that I moved past him and headed back to the ballroom.

"Wait… you _want_ me to kill you?" I heard him ask.

I stopped but didn't turn around.

"Why didn't you fight me when I choked you? Why aren't you fighting me right now?"

"I'm planning to die sometime in the next few days. Fighting death at this point is nothing more than a formality, considering there is one last thing I want to do before I let myself succumb to it." I turned back to face him. "Hey Barrett?"

"What?"

"Make sure you kill me." I said. As soon as the last word left my lips I started walking forward, and I could sense both anger and confusion rising in Ace. "And don't worry, in your sister's file, her treatments are fully insured by the hospital until she has a clean bill of health."

"...I'll kill you... I'll kill you, and I'll never mourn you! I'll be happy you died at my hand you bitch!" he yelled out of frustration.

"I'll hold you to it, Ace." I replied, continuing towards the main house. As I made my way back to the main hallway I heard him scream, and I thanked him for going so far away from the main ballroom.

"Sophie! There you are! I was getting worried." Kakeru said, putting his hand on the small of my back.

I turned to Eli, Angela on his arm. "Where's the jewelry being auctioned off?"

"Downstairs, second door to the left." he replied. "By the way, the paintings were secured."

"I'll be heading there, then. Barrett should be back in a minute, so wait here with Angela until he gets her. I'll meet you in the ballroom."

"Anne?"

I looked to Angela, and smiled. "How are you holding up, Angela? How's Baxter doing?"

She laughed, her tired face wrinkling a bit. "He's not very happy, but it'll be okay. For an assassin, that man treats me well."

I hugged her, and as I felt her arms wrap around my back I said, "I'll do everything in my power to make sure you get to go home tonight. I promise you that."

"Thank you, Anne. If that's really even your name."

"Anne Phoeis is just my pen name. Phoeis is a jumbling of Sophie, and Anne is my middle name." I smiled. "Sorry to cut this a bit short, but bidding starts in less than twenty minutes. I'll catch you later, guys."

"Be safe, Sophie!" Angela called after me.

Hurriedly I made my way to the second floor, making sure to strut my way to the second door to the left in order to show off the heels that allowed me entry. I walked by the guard with no issue, but once I entered the room, I realized exactly what was going to go down.

The room was smokey, and all the lights in the room were focused on a large covered box. The rest of the items to be auctioned glinted in the background light, but there wasn't enough light to determine what was what.

I squinted at several cases of jewelry and located the ring Ace had asked me to snatch, which was a fairly large yellow diamond ring dating back to the 1800s. Why a client with something as valuable as that contacted him and not me I wasn't sure, but I assumed it was all part of his trap. I mentally noted all the exits and windows, the estimated square footage of the room, and a general assumption of expected persons as a precaution.

I then made my way to the ballroom, people lining the sides sipping wine and dancers preparing themselves in the center. And, just as Kakeru and Eli spotted me, I heard the second voice that mattered.

"May I have this dance?"

I smiled, taking Shaziko's hand. "Of course. How can I refuse the host of this wonderful banquet?"

He lead me to the center of the dance floor, and as the soft music started playing I focused ninety percent of my efforts on following the steps Kakeru taught me. The leftover ten percent was concentrated solely on what Shaziko was saying.

"So Miss, I never caught your name." Shaziko whispered, wrapping his arm around the small of my back.

"What good is a name when a mask is hiding the face?" I replied, almost missing the next step.

.

"Is it Thompson, perhaps?"

I smiled. "I'd rather inquire about a young assassin after Miss Thompson. Perhaps you might have some insight?"

Shaziko laughed and pulled me roughly, disturbing the set of steps I had learned and throwing me off guard. "Will it matter once you're dead?"

"I-I'm sorry?" I stuttered, panicking.

He pulled me close and lifted his hand in the air. "It's lights out, Miss Thompson." he said, snapping his fingers. The lights went out, and in the next second my fading consciousness only could process the scent of chloroform.

…

When I came to my senses I was in a dark space, sitting on my knees with both my hands and feet tied. My vision was fuzzy, and I could hear the buzz of conversation all around me. After blinking a few times I saw a sliver of light near the floor, and I saw parts of bodies shuffling around through it. My skin picked up the sensation of metal, and my feet picked up the discomfort of heels.

"Now ladies and gentleman, time for the main event!"

The cover was lifted, and a blinding light surrounded me from all directions. I couldn't see the people in front of me, and I couldn't tell what was around me. Only the shadow of bars and Shaziko's fat ass would register.

I peeked behind me, the same black Louboutins sat on my feet. I cursed and thanked Ace, and as bidding started I set to work. Slowly I began picking at the ropes with the end of my heel, and though the bit had started at half a million dollars, it stalled close to three quarters of a million.

Shaziko urged the crowd, "Come on ladies, gentlemen! Don't you recognize her? This is Sophie Thompson! The gorgeous phantom thief! Imagine her as yours! She can last a long time, I guarantee it!"

I rolled my eyes and pulled my hands from the ropes, keeping in them in the same position to not raise any suspicions. The bids quickly skyrocketed into the millions, and through the thick crowd I was able to spot a white suit. He held up a paddle.

"This is pathetic. I'll take her for 50 million dollars cash."

I tried my best to keep a smile off my face as Eli began egging on the bidders.

"Going once, going twice, sold to the gentleman in white for one hundred million!" Shaziko exclaimed, grinning from ear to ear. "Please collect your prize at the end of the night."

Eli made eye contact with me, and as the massive cage was wheeled away I pretended to still be under the influence of the chloroform. The few stagehands helping Shaziko display the merchandise didn't seem to notice the frayed ropes, and once they returned to the main room I set to work on breaking the lock.

It took about an hour for all the bids to be placed and wheeled into the final storage room, which gave me plenty of time to secure the ring Ace wanted and sneak out during a lull in foot traffic. All I had to do was avoid Shaziko and his guards, which was nearly impossible considering his guards were crawling about every entrance and exit, but I had a better chance escaping before the end of the night than I did after the bidding was done.

I decided to hide out in the west wing bathroom, carefully making my way past at least fifteen guards by using large men's shoulders or petite women's large dresses as cover. The paintings were inside as Eli had stated, three of them to be exact, and for the first time that night I sat and relaxed.

I listened intently through a small vent to track how many people remained, and once the conversation reached its all-time high I assumed the bidding was completely done and over with, and most individuals were leaving for the night. So, I grabbed the paintings and headed for the side entrance of the house. If everything was going well Eli and Kakeru would already be there, and Ace would trade off the ring for Angela.

Surprisingly, Kakeru and Eli were parked right down the hall, a short way away from the side entrance. Their faces lit up upon seeing me, and Eli wrapped me in a tight embrace.

"I'm so glad you're safe."

"Don't you know who you're talking to?" I replied, smiling. "Now come on, next on the list is rescuing Angela."

The two followed me, and for some reason Kakeru insisted on holding me by the waist as we made our way to the exit. We faced a large wooden door, and I knew that once we were outside, all bets were off.

"If Barrett does something, I want you two to wait until you cannot conceivably restrain yourselves to even think about acting. Do you understand me? Protecting Angela and her baby are the top priority in this transaction."

"We understand, Soph. Now hurry up, I have Survivor waiting for me at home." Eli replied, joking.

I opened the door with a kick, and I was faced with Ace, who was pointing a large gun at me. Normally I wouldn't be scared, but behind him were black Cadillacs lined with armed mafia members.

"What the hell?" both Eli and Kakeru exclaimed.

I smiled, pushing the nozzle of his gun away from my face. "Say Ace, don't you think this is a bit extreme?"

"Shut up. Do you have my ring?" he asked, shoving the gun back in my face.

I pulled the ring off of my thumb and tossed it to him. "I got what you wanted. Now give me Angela."

He caught it in his left hand and slid it onto his finger, smiling. "Not so fast. Angela herself might be worth a ring, but what about her baby? What if it becomes president? What if it finds the cure to cancer? Will a ring really match that in the long run?"

"Don't play games with me, Barrett. Tell me what you want."

"I want you in exchange."

"...What?"

"You heard me. I want you to willingly come with me in exchange for Angela _and_ the baby."

"How will that benefit you?"

He flinched.

"You know Ace, you're not hard to predict. You want your targets to resist you, and you want them to fight back so your victory is sweeter. You and I both know I'm walking away with Angela _and_ her baby, so unless you want every single person behind you hurt I suggest you hand her over."

 _BANG!_

Angela screamed, fearing the worst for her baby, but when there was no blood to be seen eyes wandered. A dark chuckle sounded in my throat as the bullet wound in my right arm throbbed. Blood trickled down my arm as my laughing got louder, and the whole time I kept eye contact with Ace. I quieted my laughter and smiled at him. "Oh Ace, don't you know I'm crazy when I fight?" I said.

Fear flashed across his face, an in an instant Angela was taken safely into Eli's arms as I shot several mafia members in the legs, arms, and shoulders. It was a glorious fight. The sweet smell of gunpowder, the bitter taste of iron, and the exhilarating feeling of unfair combat made me ecstatic. I loved fighting. Watching your enemy cringe in pain at your feet, the beautiful red color staining everything, and the terror on their faces made it wonderful.

His numbers were big. Very big. He had people in the mansion. He had backup flying in. He had an army of armed mafia men behind him.

I was willing to fight, but I wasn't as capable as I thought. There must have been over a thousand men, not counting the ones I'd taken down already. It wasn't going to end well for me, because I was foolish and underestimated him. My ego told me I'd be able to take him, but this overwhelming force of experienced mafia members proved too much for me to handle. I fought desperately, but as a never ending circle of men surrounded me I'd soon have to come to the realization that I'd failed.

A knife plunged into my leg and I cringed. The mafia members took that slight second to attack me ferociously. Bullets grazed me, knives slashed me, and countless fists and feet connected with every part of my body. Another knife plunged into my back and several bullets punctured my skin.

My body hit the ground, and right when I expected death Kakeru appeared out of nowhere. How he got through the tight circle I didn't know or care. I just wanted him to protect me, and I felt pathetic for it.

He was incredible. He fought like nothing I'd ever seen before, and it amazed me. I'd almost forgotten he wasn't human, but as I watched him pulverize the mafia men his power and strength reminded me of it. As I watched him, my heart started pumping faster. I was on the verge of an adrenaline rush, and I was ready for the crazy to take over. My body wanted to fight until these men fled in terror. Kakeru inspired me.

The rest of the demons came out of nowhere, fighting like an unstoppable tank. Their inhuman strength was even greater than Meguru's, and as I watched them from the ground my palms got sweaty. They knocked men left and right with their bare fists, dodging bullets and slashes like this was an everyday thing. It was incredible.

I wanted to do the same.

It all happened in a haze. My body denied its sense of feeling, and my heart pounded so fast I thought it would burst. I was in an adrenaline rush, and there were no signs of stopping anytime soon. Ace would see my wrath firsthand.

Eli had seen my crazy once and only once. When I was slashed across the back protecting him, it was the first time I realized I was made to defy death. Eli told me, "It's insane. You'll be lying on the floor, super close to dying, but suddenly you'll stand up with this scary, calm look in your eyes. You just stand there and smile for a minute, and whenever something charges at you... I'd compare you to Taz from that point on. You just do these crazy fast attacks and look like a tornado. Bodies fly from every direction and its worse when you're circled. You'll wait until everything starts attacking you, and within two seconds the entire circle is gone. You were inhuman."

I would describe it as a destructive blackout. I never saw what I did, but I heard and felt it. Most of the time I wouldn't remember for a long time after, but my dreams usually consisted of those fights. From what I heard and how my body responded to them, I figured they were awesome. I smiled. This is what I've trained myself to be. A puppet that will bend to its master's will. Inhuman things are just a part of that contract, and I couldn't be happier.

After gunshots, stabbings, and hand-to-hand combat, the only remnants of Ace and the mafia were ammunition shells, abandoned cars, and the wind.

"Sophie! Sophie, are you okay? How's your arm? Does it hurt?" Kakeru asked, running up to me.

I was nearing the end of my adrenaline rush, and my defenses started winding down. My heart rate had gone down significantly, and my sight started to return. I turned my gaze to everyone's blurry figures, and Eli approached me cautiously.

"Is it over...?" he asked warily.

I smiled. "It's great, isn't it? You can still smell the gunpowder!" I said. My voice came out slow and even. "I wish there were still a couple here. It'd be wonderful to have some just for fun..."

"What's wrong with her...?" Meguru asked, looking to Kakeru.

"Sophie, does anywhere hurt?" Eli asked.

I looked straight at him. "I haven't told you, have I?" I took a step closer to him, and he jumped a little. "The best thing happens when I'm this way, you know? It's almost like I don't have a body at all!" I placed my hands firmly on his shoulders, leaning in close and staring at his blurry eyes. "I can't feel anything at all!"

His eyes widened.

Just then my sight fully returned to me, and the expressions on everyone's faces were new to me. I saw fear, disgust, and surprise. Their body language told me they were scared, but at the same time ready to stop me if I did something irrational.

I smiled wider. My eyes surveyed everyone once more, and chills went down my spine when I looked at Kakeru. He was clutching his left arm, and his sleeve was stained red.

"Her eyes..."

"Kakeru... You got hurt?"

He tried to cover up his arm and act like nothing happened, but a sudden wave of nausea and lightheadedness made me sway. I sat on my knees and clutched the ground tightly, this sudden burst of feeling bringing me back to my normal senses.

My teeth were clamped together tightly, and I dared not open them to speak or I'd scream. All the feeling in my body returned at once, and the immense pain and stress I'd put my body through was in full swing. My left calf and back had knives struck through them, and I had bullet wounds in my right arm, my left shoulder, and my left foot. I had a lot of other cuts, bruises, and bullet grazes over the rest of my body. The only thing I could do to express it was cry, and boy did I. My eyes were almost like waterfalls, with huge streams of tears flooding down my cheeks onto the pavement.

"Shit, she's going to pass out soon. Her feeling is back." Eli said, crouching onto the pavement.

He was right. About two seconds later, I passed out.


	7. Chapter 7

4 Days Until I'm Toast…

…

It was a quiet little town. There was a local clinic where most everyone around went, and the doctor there had the fairest prices around.

The doctor had a family. He had his wife of two years and a child on the way. His patients would often congratulate him, and he'd always smile and say his wife was the happiest she'd ever been. He himself hadn't stopped smiling since he found out.

One fateful day, four years later, the family moved to the city. The doctor's medications from his clinic were being used worldwide, and his research was helping cure all kinds of diseases.

Later that year, his daughter died. She'd been kidnapped, and police never found the body or the culprit.

With no closure the doctor took her case upon himself. He began constructing his own laboratories, focused solely on forensics and other bio-waste sciences. If the police couldn't find who killed her, he'd do it himself.

Once again his wife became pregnant, and once again she had a little girl. When the doctor held her, he felt the same soul as his first child. This time he would protect her. He'd make sure no one could ever hurt her. At least, that's what he told himself.

In his studies he made a breakthrough. A non-detectable virus he could control however he wanted to. He made some sacrifices along the way, including his wife and a few hundred others. His daughter was still young. She would believe her mother caught a sickness, rather than him placing the sickness in her. If he was careful, she'd never find out.

He did place a prototype in his daughter, but experiments proved it to be harmless. He figured he could made an antidote in the event that worst came to worst. But he quickly forgot about hurting his daughter altogether.

His daughter hated him. She refused to understand, and turned against him because he wanted to keep her safe. All he did was make a lethal virus that could kill anyone who hurt her. Was that so wrong?

He sat in his main laboratory and started to stress. His daughter was destroying his smaller laboratories, along with the precious research he did.

Couldn't she realize this was all because he loves her?

{…}

When I woke, I felt as if I were already dead. My limbs felt as if they were made of lead, my back felt as if it were being broken, and my head felt as if it were being continually smashed with a hammer. Bandages wrapped every bit of my body I managed to see, and I wondered exactly what I did to fuck up this bad.

"Sophie, are you awake?"

"I wish I wasn't." I croaked, unable to move my head. "Did you bandage me up?"

Eli came into my field of view, looking over his shoulder. "No, a doctor did after making sure nothing was wrong."

"What doctor let me out of a hospital in this condition?" I asked, confused.

"I did."

My heart dropped, the voice triggering memories of a thousand nightmares. I hoped, prayed, _needed_ my mind to being playing tricks on me, but when my green eyes met those steely grey ones I wanted to scream.

"I called your dad, since I knew you'd get mad at me if I took you to a hospital." Eli said, smiling.

I didn't reply. Why he called my father of the hundreds of doctors in my hospital I could not understand, especially as Eli was the one I had confided in my whole life about my father's atrocities. I felt betrayed, and as I was about to scream my head off, my father spoke.

"Can I have a minute with her, please?" he asked, resting his hand gently on Eli's shoulder.

I cursed myself for being so weak, for not being able to jump across the room and strangle my father for putting his filthy hands on _my_ Eli. What he did to my best friend to gain access to me I couldn't imagine. Whatever blackmail he'd found or whatever mind control he'd developed, I'd kill him in cold blood and burn everything he loved.

Eli nodded and left the room. When the door closed, my dad directed his eyes to me. "I didn't expect to find you this easily. You know, I was shocked to find your little shack abandoned. Are you living here now?"

"No, I don't, so don't do anything to this house." I snarled.

"What a shame. I was going to send you a care package." he said, sitting at my bedside. "How did you get so banged up in the first place?"

"Eat shit." I snapped.

"I don't like when you get hurt. I wish you took better care of yourself."

"You're the one who made me like this." I spat. "Go choke and die."

He looked hurt. "Sweetheart, you don't understand. I'm doing everything for you."

" _What_?"

He put his hand over mine and I tried to flinch away from him, but my body wouldn't let me. "This virus will destroy anyone who could ever hurt you. That way, you and I can live together with no worries! But, those plans all changed when your perception of my project was warped. Now I have no choice but to take extreme measures." He pulled a needle out of his lab coat and smiled at me. "I was going to wait until you came for me, but right now it will be less painful."

"E… El…!" I tried to scream for Eli, but my throat had become dry and swollen. I couldn't yell, and I almost couldn't breathe.

"Sophie, my little girl... I love you so much. I hate that I have to do his, but now no one can ever hurt you again. You might have some trouble moving, but that's fine. It'll all be over soon." He stuck the needle in my arm, and as the fluid entered my bloodstream I felt lightheaded. "Now no one can hurt you anymore... We can be happy together." I heard him whisper.

My head swam as I tried desperately to reach him, but whatever he did to me made me completely immobile. I couldn't case after him, I couldn't scream for help, and I couldn't help myself.

He kissed my forehead and exited the room, saying to Eli, "I gave her some anesthesia and a painkiller. If she rests, she should be all better in no time."

It was excruciating. I couldn't move any part of my body, and it all went limp. I just lied on the bed, staring at the door that atrocious man walked through. All of this happened because I set Ace off. If I didn't try to act cool, I could have stayed alive. All of my plans would have gone perfectly.

Eli, what would he do when I didn't wake up? How long would he wait? What would he ever forgive himself once he came to? What would he tell the demons?

The demons…

What would Satoru do? How many things would he break? How many tears would he cry? What about Kakeru, what would become of him? Would he blame himself for not guarding me properly? What would become of those three after I was snatched away by the very man that made it so I had to die?

I laughed internally, as it was inevitable. Those idiots just refused to accept it.

But, I didn't accept death either. I fought it until the very last second. I wasn't going to die fearing death, wanting to pray, scream, and cry for my life to be done another way. I fought to continue the life I've lived. I had things to finish, and I wasn't willing to accept failure. I'd fight this losing battle.

As I fought, Death struck me hard. It pounded its fists onto my broken body and slashed me with its scythe, and all the while he laughed at me. With one final swing, I felt myself lose the battle.

My body slammed against a hard surface, sending a shockwave of pain throughout itself. I dared not move, hoping that if I relented, Death would be merciful.

Footsteps sounded on the floor beneath me, and the sound of a door opening filled my ears. Next, there was a voice.

"Sophie! Are you okay?"

A pair of arms lifted me from the cold, hard floor, and as my eyes adjusted to the bright light, Eli's worried face made itself apparent. Before I could think I tackled him with the tightest hug I had ever given, tears immediately spilling down my cheeks with no indication of stopping. He fell back from he force and I ended lying on top of him, but I paid no attention to it.

"I was so scared, Eli." I said, my shoulders shaking. "I don't want to die. I know I have to, but don't want to leave you. Please, Eli, don't make me leave."

He wrapped his arms around my back. "You know I'm weak to your tears, Soph." Slowly he sat up, still holding me in his arms, and he said, "If you don't want to die, I'll move Heaven and Earth to make it happen."

I sobbed into his shoulder, the excruciating pain in my shoulder, back, and leg too much to bear. "If it can't be helped, don't blame yourself. If this virus can't be stopped, please let me die."

He hushed me and patted my back, saying, "You just focus on doing what you need to do. Let me focus on the rest."

...

Eli had left some time ago, and I slowly moved around his apartment gathering my things and struggling to dress myself. I had somehow washed my face and brushed my teeth, but with how painful it was to move my right arm I elected to just brush my hair as well as I could and leave it down.

Though Eli had instructed me to stay at his apartment I was determined to make it to the Demon House, and going against pretty much every rational bone I had in my body I drove myself. Somehow I made it without killing anyone, without getting a ticket, and mostly without doing anything illegal.

I made my way to the door, and not surprisingly, an envelope sat on the front steps. When I read its contents I smiled.

' _You want your Ace of Spades back? Come and get it_.'

I opened the door to the house after stuffing the letter in my back pocket. Right now, Ace was the only thing I had left to deal with. At least, that's what I thought until I noticed a remote flying straight at me. I managed to dodge it fast enough, and it connected with the door behind me, snapped clean in half, hit the concrete, and shattered.

"Don't tell me to calm down! If something happens to her, it's my fault!" Kakeru screamed. He was facing Satoru, and everyone else stood back.

"Umm, should I come back later…?" I said, closing the door behind me.

The demons turned and looked at me, shock filling their features, but it was quickly replaced with happiness and relief.

"Sophie! What are you doing here? I thought you were supposed to be recovering at Elijah's!" Meguru exclaimed, bounding up to me.

"I was. I just left there, actually." I laughed to myself saying, "I really shouldn't even be moving, so I snuck out when Eli was out."

"Here, you need to come sit down…" Satoru said, guiding me to the couch.

"I'm fine, I promise." I said, taking a seat. " I have all my stuff here, and I need to get ready for tomorrow." I tried to stand up, but Kakeru sat me back down.

"You need to rest. If you stress your body too much, you won't be able to do anything tomorrow."

"I don't have much more time. I need to leave later tonight, then tomorrow I'm going to kill my father." I looked up to the demons, who all looked at me with concern. "Once my father is dead, please toast me."

"Sophie-!" Meguru exclaimed, attempting to protest.

I bowed my head to the demons, fear creeping up my spine at the memory of Death's scythe ripping through my being, but I knew there was simply nothing I could do. "I'm begging you. Once my father is dead, please put me out of my misery."

Kakeru crouched to meet me at eye level and lifted my chin with his hand. "If you let me heal your wounds, I'll let you do what you need to do tonight. I won't interfere, and I promise I'll keep you alive only until your father is dead."

My eyes widened a bit in shock, and I felt my heart heave in my chest. "Kakeru… why are you-?"

He had a pained smile on his face. "Isn't it every man's job to make the woman he loves happy?"

Tears brimmed my eyes, whether out of guilt, fear, or simple pain I couldn't tell. A strange, warm emotion filled my chest as I looked at his soft smile, and I wrapped my arms around his shoulders. "Thank you, Kakeru."

He patted my back. "Of course. Now come on, it'll take awhile to heal those wounds."

We headed up the staircase, Kakeru's arm around my waist, and I heard Meguru whisper, "That's the first time she's hugged him, right?"

Tears rolled from my eyes into my hair as Kakeru set out to heal my calf first, focusing his powers on the knife wound. The warm energy took the pain away, and I wished for a moment that it would never stop.

"Did something happen? You've been crying for awhile." he asked, looking at my face.

I pursed my lips, wondering if it was wise to tell him, and though the obvious answer was that it wasn't, that same, warm feeling in my chest told me I should. My voice came out barely above a whisper as I cried, "I'm scared."

His hands stopped for a moment, and the searing pain returning to my calf made my face contort in pain.

"I'm scared of death, Kakeru. I'm so scared." I cried, clutching the comforter with my left hand.

"Sophie…"

We sat in silence for a moment, and I gripped the comforter tightly as I cried. I started to sob, releasing the fear I still managed to hold inside myself. I thought this morning would be the end of it, but it seemed like this feeling of fear was a bottomless dark abyss.

In the midst of my distress a warm feeling enveloped my right hand, and I noticed Kakeru leaning over me. He pulled me to his chest, hugging me as he said, "I'll protect you. No matter what happens, I'll make sure you're alright. Just promise me you'll never leave my side."

I clutched his hand tightly as he cupped my face, and as tears leaked down my cheeks our lips touched gently.

Isn't it a shame promises are meant to be broken?

…

Once my would were fully healed and I took a short nap, I prepared to meet Ace. This meant pulling my hair into a tight bun, slipping on my black suit, and lacing up my combat boots. Once I was dressed I made my way to the living room. All the demons were collected there, despite there being no food, and I was curious as to why.

"Oh, she's awake." Haruhito said, noticing me first.

"And looking sexy!" Satoru added, looking me up and down.

I laughed and crossed my arms over my chest. "Kakeru, are you ready? I have to beat the shit out of a stupid kid." I asked, earning a look of confusion.

"You're going to do what?"

"I'm going to fight Barrett solo. I pissed him off by beating him, so he wants to go one-on-one."

"Do you think that'll work? That kid was playing dirty." Satoru asked.

"I don't know. At this point, I'm making it up as I go."

"That's how you get killed, Idiot." Shiki said.

"I'm going to die anyway, so I might as well have some fun." I replied. I then grabbed Kakeru by the arm and dragged him out to my car, not willing to waste any more time.

I drove to the address from the envelope, and eventually ended up at an abandoned navy base. It was fabulously creepy, but it excited me. I was ready for my last fight, and I was ready to win it. I turned to Kakeru and said, "Wait out here. Don't come in unless you have to."

He nodded.

I smiled, and with a strange, vigorous energy I kicked down the heavy metal door . Once again, I came face-to-face with the barrel of an automatic rifle.

"Hello, Sophie. I didn't expect you to arrive so early. You must be eager to have a bullet in your head." Ace snarled, a fire in his eyes.

I smiled. "Is that so? You sure seem awfully prepared for someone who wasn't expecting company."

He cocked the gun.

"Anyway, I came to give you your cards back." I said, ducking under the barrel and entering the warehouse.

"What?"

"I did some thinking, and I thought about how useful an incomplete deck of cards is. It isn't, so I came back here so the deck would be useful again." I continued, leaning against a small table.

"Are you implying something, bitch?" Ace snarled, shoving the gun in my face.

I ignored his empty threat. "That depends. You see, we have three options, and I have three cards." I pulled the three Aces out of my pocket and said, "One, I can kill you. Two, you can kill me. Three, we can compromise."

His face softened, and turned to a slight look of interest. "What's the compromise?" he asked, lowering the gun.

"You don't kill me, and I disappear. I'll give you something of mine, so your boss thinks you got the job done or whatever."

He stood in front of me, resting his hand on his hip. "How does that benefit you? Aren't you going to die anyway?"

I smiled wider. "Ace, sometimes people get desperate for just a little more time."

He looked at me with a strangely soft expression. "You aren't the same anymore. When we used to play together, you didn't talk like this. You got scared when there was a chance my sister could die. Sophie, who are you?"

I relaxed my shoulders, a sad smile showing on my lips. "I'm a puppet."

Ace dropped the gun and hugged me, catching me off guard. "I'm going to miss you." he said. "Nobody else was ever any good at cards."

I hugged him back, smiling as I replied, "I'll miss you too, rookie."

"Wherever you're going to go, just be safe, okay?"

"Don't worry. Once I do everything I need to do, I won't need to run anymore."

He pulled back from me, squeezing my shoulders as he asked, "Before you go, can I play cards with you one more time?"

I smiled again. "Anytime, rookie."

We sat at a circular table and shuffled a brand new deck ten times each. I dealt the cards, and took my twenty six.

"Egyptian War?" Ace suggested, counting his cards.

"You got it." I replied, putting down a three of clubs. Ace put down his card, a ten of hearts, and from there we began.

Two of diamonds, six of clubs, queen o-

 _Slap!_

I looked down at the table, and instead of touching the slick cards Ace's had was under mine. I smiled to myself, thinking, 'At least now I can play a _real_ game of Egyptian War.'

The shuffling of cards and slapping noises echoed throughout the warehouse for a long time after that, and Kakeru, who had disguised his presence from Ace, watched in confusion. I figured he didn't know how to play, and it amused me when he jumped.

Ace had five cards left, and suddenly the game got super serious. We were laying cards down faster than we could read them, and after a giant wave of nothing but number cards, Ace put down his last card.

A damn six of hearts.

I stopped for a second and wiped my brow with my sleeve. It had gotten unbelievably hot in my suit, and I felt dehydrated. I swallowed hard and flipped my top card.

Ace of Spades.

 _Slap!_

The glossy texture of the card greeted my stinging palm, and a slight pain covered my hand where Ace slapped with all his might. A wide smile covered my face and I said, "I told you I'd be waiting for my Ace of Spades."

Kakeru sat in the passenger seat as we drove towards Lita's house from the base, and after a long time of silence he spoke up.

"I still don't understand how you went from threatening to kill each other to playing cards." he said, crossing his arms over his chest.

I laughed. "You should pay more attention. "That game of cards settled whether or not he would kill me or compromise."

"What? I thought you two settled that beforehand."

"Oh no, that was all just getting rid of feelings. He's an assassin hired to kill me, but he was also someone I cared about. I was the one who taught him everything he knows about cards, so he left it up to my skill to determine my fate. He only hugged me because he knew he would regret not saying goodbye."

Kakeru rubbed his face, saying, "I don't understand ninety percent of what goes through your mind, but I'm glad you're alive at least."

We arrived at the Demon House not long after, and once I stepped out of the car I felt a chill go down my spine. I turned to Kakeru, saying, "Eli's here, and he's angry."

He looked confused, but once he opened the door Eli's hand grabbed his shoulder and yanked him inside. I followed cautiously, and though I tried to avoid his censors, a slight creak of the floorboard made Eli's angered eyes lock onto me.

"Sophie!" he called, releasing Kakeru. He strode over to me and grabbed my arms, towering over me with a wide smile on his face. "I'm _so_ glad to see you. I wasn't worried to death or anything about coming home to find my badly injured best friend missing, and her car no longer in my driveway."

"Eels, baby, have I ever told you how fierce you look with winged eyeliner? I mean, _slay_ -"

His arms wrapped around me, and for a moment I wondered if he had collapsed from exhaustion, but his hoarse voice choked, "I don't have much time left to spend with you. Don't scare me like that."

Guilt weighed heavily on my chest, and I pat his back gently. "Eels… I didn't mean to scare you. Kakeru healed me, so I'm all better. I already dealt with Barrett and everything too, so I have until tonight to spend with you. Okay?"

"Don't leave, Sophie. Give me more time to figure out how I can stop the virus from spreading." He hugged me tighter. "You have three whole days left, don't you? Please, please give me that extra time."

"Please, don't do this. The longer I stay, the harder it is for me to leave."

"That's the point, stupid!" he yelled, releasing me from his arms. Tears stung his eyes, and for the first time, I realized just how much his tears affected me. His hands touched his chest, and he said, "Don't you understand that just leaving us like this hurts? I want to help you, but you insist on taking the cowards way out! This isn't the Sophie I know! Fight for life like you always do! Show me the spirit I so desperately wanted to protect when I was first assigned to you!"

I clenched my fists, and as anger boiled beneath my skin, I couldn't hold back the frustrated tears. Truly I tried to bite my tongue, to be calm, to try to just let Eli's frustrated words roll off my back like nothing… but I couldn't do it. I looked at him, and for the first time in my life, I lost control.

"Don't you dare talk to me like that, Eli. You know _damn_ well I use every ounce of energy, will, and drive that I possess to live. You were the one who watched me fight my way into being published to pay for my mother's care. You were the one who watched me wake up at four o'clock in the morning, every morning, to train, to do heists, and to break into my father's labs. You were the one who watched me sacrifice my wants, my needs, and any hopes and dreams I had to stop my monster of a father from destroying the world." I stepped up to him, pushing his chest as I started to raise my voice. "How can you say that to me? How can you look me in the eye and tell me that ensuring the life of over seven billion people is the cowards way out? My fucking mother is dead, Eli! And every day I'm alive, I have to live with that! I have to live with knowing I'm the reason she died! I have to live knowing that if I never fucking existed, the world would be a better place!" I shoved him, hard, knocking him back into the semi-circle of shocked demons. "How would you feel, living a lie like that? How do you justify extending my existence when I never should have been alive in the first place?" I screamed.

Eli grabbed my arms again, angry. "What the fuck is wrong with you? Get a hold of yourself! Quit acting like a little bitch!"

My hand struck his cheek, and for a moment, the room froze. Eli slowly turned to look at me, but as I shook off his arms I felt no remorse.

"Me wanting to die isn't selfish. You putting your feelings above my wishes and what I've devoted my life to is." I pushed him out of the way, and pushed my way through the demons to get to the staircase. "I'll be in my room. Even if the house is on fire, don't bother me."

With that, I stomped up the steps and slammed the door behind me.

I cried for some time, Eli's frustration and my awful handling of it making me feel like an awful person. I hadn't heard the front door close and I could feel his somber attitude from a mile away, so once I calmed down, I decided I needed to apologize.

I made my way down the steps, and though the demons noticed me, they didn't say a word. Eli was hunched over, his face in his hands as he sat on the couch.

"I'm sorry, Eli."

He shot upright, his swollen eyes meeting mine with a look of shock. A split second later his eyes filled with more tears, and he cried, "Why are you apologizing? I'm an asshole! I'm sorry, Sophie! Please don't be mad at me!"

I laughed, and I kissed his forehead. "I'm not mad, you big baby. I was just upset because what you said is right, but I'm really not brave enough to face two days where I won't have a purpose."

"Sophie!" he cried, wrapping his arms around my torso and burying his face in my chest.

"Maybe I should get her mad at me." Satoru whispered to Meguru, smiling.

I pet Eli's hair, and I looked to the demons. "I won't change my mind. I want to be gone tomorrow, because if I stay any longer I won't be strong enough to leave. I also can't imagine a world where I don't live for the purpose of killing my father, and I'd rather not be hopeful of a breakthrough in curing my father's autonomous virus only for that breakthrough to not come soon enough. It's not the brave thing to do, but I've been brave my whole life. Just for once, I want to be allowed to be a coward."

…

I scrolled on social media, looking through old memories on my Instagram page when a knock came at my door. The clock showed that it was about nine thirty, and I wondered who would have business with me so late. "Come in." I called, sitting up and facing the door.

Kakeru entered and closed the door behind him. "Mind if I sit with you?"

"No, go ahead." I replied, scooting a bit to give him some room.

He sat beside me and twiddled his thumbs, taking several moments to speak. Finally, he looked up at me and asked, "Are you sure you really have to be toasted tomorrow?"

I couldn't help but laugh at his sincerity, and how he thought to ask that question after the previous ordeal in the living room. "Yes, Kakeru, I'm sure. There are plenty of other reasons I need to die, but most importantly it's the stupid virus and you know, not killing the entire planet."

"What's another reason?"

His eyes showed a strange determination, and I figured he came with the purpose of trying to talk me into waiting an extra few days before letting them toast me. "Well, I'll tell you the second most important reason." I said, moving the strap of my sports bra to reveal my shoulder. "If I stay around much longer, I don't think I'll be able to stop myself from falling in love with you. Though, you lost the bet, as the mark is gone."

I fell back onto the comforter, and the light from my ceiling fan was blocked my Kakeru's hair. He kissed me roughly, his hands pushing my wrists against the mattress. It was hard to breathe, and I had quite literally zero experience with kissing other than the peck he had given me the night before. I was sure the kiss wasn't a good one, and just as I was about to begin resisting, Kakeru pulled away.

"Was that supposed to make me want to kill you?" he asked, loosening his tie. "Unfortunately, it did the opposite."

"Kakeru, please. You won't be happy loving me. Just give up already."

He kissed me again, this time trapping my lower lip between his teeth as he pulled away. "No. I won't stop loving you."

"I won't stop insisting on dying tomorrow. I'm dead set."

"Why are you being so stubborn?"

"I can ask you the same thing. You won't give up, no matter what I tell you. Isn't it taboo to fall in love with a human? What about your whole Demon Prince thing? Isn't this going to fuck it up?"

"You don't get it, Sophie. I love you, which means I'd do anything for you. If it meant giving up my right to the throne and evading hell for eternity, I'd do it." he said, leaning in to kiss me again.

I turned my face away. "That's not a good life to live, Running your whole life from people out to get you is stressful, lonely, and dangerous. I'm dying so I can escape that life, not jump right back into it."

Kakeru was quiet for a moment, and when I finally turned back to look at his face, he seemed hurt.

"Didn't you want a life where you knew what it was like to be loved?" he asked. "Please, just let me love you. Even if it's only for those two days."

I closed my eyes, and turned back to face the door. "I'm sorry, Kakeru, but I won't change my mind."


	8. Chapter 8

3 Days Until I'm Toast…

…

I secured paperclips on several stacks of paper, and after flipping through to make sure each one was organized correctly I finally took a look at the clock. It was just after midnight, and though my hand was horribly cramped from hand-writing a massive list of goodbye letters, I really didn't want to open the Prada laptop.

The first stack of paper was addressed to Eli, who I had written nearly five pages to, front and back, recalling my favorite memories and thanking him for everything he'd done for me over the years. The most important part, though, was the last paragraph.

'What I'm trying to say through all this is imply that I love you, and that just because it was your job to be by my side it doesn't mean I value our relationship any less. The memories and friendship I have with you are precious to me, and I wouldn't trade my time knowing you for anything. You are my best friend. Without you, I never would have completed my mission. So thank you, Eli, from the bottom of my heart.

-Sophie Thompson'

I was glad none of my tears stained the paper, but as I looked to the stacks left for Satoru and Kakeru, I felt guilt clutch at my heart. In the letters I had apologized to Satoru for allowing him to fall for me, and for not noticing how attached I had grown to Kakeru. I pleased for him to just forget, even if it meant using Shiki's powers, just so he wouldn't have to hurt once I was gone. I had similarly apologized to Kakeru, begging him to toast me and to move on once everything was said and done. I apologized for telling him I had started growing attached to him, and how I fad foolishly let them know I _did_ want to be loved in this life.

I set the letters down, and prepared myself for the impending heist.

Some time later I stood facing the bathroom mirror, rushing my hair into a high ponytail before twisting the secured locks into a tight bun. The slight bags under my eyes weren't immediately noticeable, but I noticed that as I neared the tenth day things around me were getting warmer, my skin was growing clammy, and I looked more tired. I figured it must mean it truly was time for me to die, and the longer I put it off the worse I would feel.

"Sophie, is that you?" I heard a groggy voice ask from the door.

I turned, and Kakeru's grumpy, groggy morning face was too cute for me to keep a straight face. My hand reached out and smoothed some of his bed head, a satisfying blush spreading on his cheeks as he realized what I was doing.

"You should know by now I wake up at four in the morning."

His eyes moved to the side, avoiding my gaze as his blush spread further. "It's two o'clock."

I smiled. "Even better."

"Are you leaving now?" he asked, looking back at my face.

"No, I'm still getting ready. I have a lot to do."

"Like what?"

I smiled a sad smile. "Say goodbye."

…

Kakeru and I left the house close to four o'clock, and I placed several letters in my glove box before we had taken off. He was slightly irritated because I wouldn't tell him where we were going, but I didn't want to think about it very much.

My first stop was Angela's house. Though she was just a kind waitress who I knew little about, she was someone who was always kind to me and trusted me when one of the darker aspects of my life came for her. I placed a bouquet of flowers on her doorstep, and to verify it was me that left them there I left a note with them. It read, "Just name the kid Baxter Ray."

Second was my aunt's house, and I left a small gift basket on her front porch. I thanked her for overseeing my mother's funeral in my absence, and for ensuring her ashes were placed on her mantle. I thanked her for honoring my mother's wish of being surrounded by family after she passed, and I thanked her for the flowers she always supplied for my mother's hospital room.

The next stop was Eli's house, and by now Kakeru had figured out that this was me saying goodbye. He stayed in the car while I slipped Eli's stack into the mail slot, included with an envelope of pictures from my camera roll I'd had developed. I also included an order reciept for an expensive bottle of rosé he had always talked about wanting to try.

When I returned to the car, there was only one place left to go. I turned to Kakeru. "Are you ready? If we go now, everything should be over before sunrise." I said.

He looked at me, and he replied, "

"The question is if you're ready."

I smiled. "I've been ready for fifteen years."

Standing in front of the main laboratory was a bit surreal. I knew it was finally time to end things, and once he was dead, it would be my time to move on to the next life. I would be reborn into a world where he wasn't a threat, and I would no longer be trapped in his clutches.

Once Kakeru put up a barrier I picked the lock to the front door, careful no to break it in order for the alarm not to go off. I didn't want my father knowing I was here, not yet, as I knew this facility employed no other living people. He'd commissioned advanced, artificially intelligent guard bots, and I had not idea what they were capable of.

In order for them not to be an issue later, I took a detour to the main control center of the laboratory and turned off power to the central communication system, essentially cutting off power to his bots, phones, and outside computers. Once I was sure everything important was disconnected, I kicked the switch several times, causing the box to break. I had to be sure there was no way for him to power them back up.

After planting explosives about the room I turned to Kakeru, saying, "Now all we have left to do is kill that bastard and destroy his computer. Let's go."

After traveling up a flight of stairs, we stood before a wooden door. A plaque reading 'Doctor Evan Thompson' displayed at eye level.

"Is he inside?" Kakeru whispered.

"Maybe." I whispered back. "If he is, this all happens now."

I didn't wait for him to respond and went to unlock the door, but to my surprise it was already unlocked. The door opened quietly, and the room beyond was dark. The only lighting came from the massive monitor, and a chair casted a shadow across the floor. There was a figure in the chair with its back to us.

"Sweetheart, is that you?" it asked. "I've been expecting you for some time."

I said nothing, but stepped out of Kakeru's barrier. My father turned in his swivel chair, smiling. "Sweetheart, why are you doing this? I'm getting rid of anyone who can hurt you. That way, you'll be safe forever. I'll protect you all by myself."

"Mom is dead."

He stood from his chair, a soft smile on his face. "A worthy sacrifice. Look at you, dear, so beautiful and healthy!" He hugged me, continuing, "I love you so much, Victoria."

"I'm going to die today, Dad."

My father's shoulders tensed for a moment, and he slowly pulled back to look at me. "What are you saying, dear?"

I looked to his monitor, his desktop littered with filed pertaining to The Sophie Project. "You injected me with an autonomous virus on my sixth birthday. In order to avoid dying in three days by a brain hemorrhage, induced by your experimental strain, I'll be dying a less painful death on my own terms."

"Oh, you're so silly! I developed an antidote years ago!" he said, laughing.

I shook my head. "No, dad, you didn't. You can check your computer. Your formula for an antidote was scrapped more than twelve years ago." I stepped back from his grip. "You know, dad, the only one who's ever hurt me is you."

My dad's eyes were scary. They were empty, completely devoid of life and purpose. "So… I've lost another daughter… and this time it was by my own hand." He turned to the monitor. "Victoria will never forgive me now."

I pulled my glock from my waistband, and I stood with a gun to my father's face. "I'm going to kill you, and destroy the virus's program. I'll undo all the harm you've done, and make sure your research can never hurt anyone else."

His hollow, unfocused eyes looked back at me, not a word coming from his mouth.

I watched the man I once knew as my father stand before me, the weight of his actions finally weighing on his consciousness. I mourned the man my mother had once loved, and the father my sister had the privilege of knowing. As his tears began to fall, I wasn't strong enough to meet his eyes as I pulled the trigger.

The room was quiet as I copied all the research files onto my USB, not a sound in the room as the malware destroyed every last bit of data. After cleaning out his file cabinets I placed a small explosive beside the hard drive, and as I stood in the doorframe, I took one last look at my father.

He sat in a puddle of his own blood, his breathing shallow and his eyelids drooping. With his dying breath, he reached out for me and whispered, "I'm sorry, Sophie."

He slumped over, and I closed the door.

Kakeru and I exited the building quickly, and as we drove on the dirt road to my next destination a loud boom sounded behind us. The bright flames mimicked the sunrise in my rearview mirror, and as the flames lit up the trees, a sense of relief washed over me.

We returned to the demon house close to eight thirty, and all of the demons appeared to be waiting for breakfast as Kakeru and I walked through the door.

"Oh, she's back." Haruhito commented, tapping Satoru.

"And Kakeru is with her." Satoru said, looking at us. "What were you two doing out so early?"

"My father is dead, so before Eli can interfere I'd like to be toasted. I just need to synthesize the files I grabbed from the lab and look through the new content on my USB, then I'll be good to go." I smiled at Haruhito, saying, "The Prada X Elite is the only thing I can get my hands on that will render 3-D files, so I'm sorry for only using it once. You can trust my researchers will use it to its full potential once they receive it."

I spent nearly six hours synthesizing data, both physical and digital, before I was content with my work. I put the laptop, back in its box and put the synthesized files back in their respective boxes, now five milk crate-sized boxes filled with paper. I'd already arranged for one of my assistants to pick everything up, and included was a special manilla envelope that was not to be opened until the day after my original toasting. Inside were all the legal documents required to transfer power of the company to my Vice President and Chief Researcher, my personal will, and a few other bits of legal jargon that were necessary for smaller functions of handling my death.

I looked at the clock, which read three fifty in the afternoon. Eli was due to arrive soon, and my assistant was about ten minutes away, so I started moving the materials downstairs. I started with as many milk crate boxes I could carry, which ended up being three, before I made my way down the stairs.

"Whoa, where did those come from?" Meguru asked, referring to the boxes in my hands.

"They're files from my father's lab. An assistant of mine is coming to pick up the files and laptop to take back to the hospital's research facility." I replied, setting them down. "I donate bits of my father's research that are relevant, since it's all blood related, but I black out and delete anything that can be used to replicate the virus. I figure it's the least I can do, and I like to think that some of it helps people in need." I smiled, and went back upstairs to retrieve the other two crates and the laptop.

As I placed the second set of boxes by the door I could see my assistant's car, and my phone pinged with their overly-formal text letting me know they arrived early. I opened the door and called them in, but once it was apparent that they were struggling to carry even one box of files, Kakeru appeared beside me.

"I'll help. Just make sure the laptop doesn't break." he said, grabbing the stack of three,

He loaded the boxes into the trunk of my assistants car, and I placed the other two boxes in the backseat. Once everything was loaded the assistant thanked me, and drove off after saying they hoped to work with me again. As soon as they turned the corner, Eli appeared beside me. I noticed his under eyes were puffy, and I assumed he'd read my letter.

I turned to Kakeru and smiled. "Well, that's all I needed to do. Should we move to the backyard?"

He grimaced, and I took that as a yes.

The demons, Eli, and I all congregated in the backyard, and I had collected Kakeru and Satoru's letters from my room. I told them they weren't allowed to read them until I had already been toasted, and they agreed.

"Okay, I'm going to begin the toasting process now. Is there anything you want to say?" Kakeru asked, standing before me.

"I've said most everything I needed to say, but there's just two more things I need to do." I replied.

First I walked over to Eli and hugged him tightly, not saying a word, but I knew I would regret not hugging him one last time. Then I stood before Kakeru, trying not to laugh at the confusion on his face, and before he could ask me what I was doing I grabbed his tie, tugged, and kissed him for the last time.

"I'm ready now. Please toast me, Kakeru." I turned to Eli. "Once my soul is separated, please take care of me."

Kakeru swallowed hard, a blush on his cheeks and what I thought to be tears in his eyes. "Okay. I'm going to separate your soul from your body. Hold still." Kakeru said. He reached his hand out towards me, and as he got closer I let myself relax. My eyes closed, and I waited for death to come.

…

…

…

I opened my eyes, and Kakeru's hand hovered before my face. Visible tears trembled in his eyes, and as his brown eyes once again met my green ones, his arm fell.

"I can't do it."

"You know Sophie, I'm impressed. You've captured the hearts of a demon and an angel." Haruhito said, laughing.

I grabbed my glock from my waistband, pointing it at myself as I said, "Too bad my fate is to die." I opened my mouth, and before anyone could knock the gun from my hand, I pulled the trigger.

But, in a cruel twist of fate, my shell cartridge was empty.

I tossed the gun to the ground in frustration. "Welp, I'm out of ideas. Obviously today _isn't_ my day to die, so how about we try again tomorrow?"

Eli, who looked relieved, spoke. "Sophie, maybe you should just wait the two extra days. Wouldn't that be-"

"I'm going to bed." I said, silencing him. "I don't want to think for awhile. I just want to be numb."

"We understand. We won't bother you." Satoru said, squeezing my shoulder.

I offered the biggest smile I could offer, and went to my bedroom without another word. But, little did the demons know I very much planned to die. I followed my normal routine, changing out of my suit into a pair of cozy sweatpants and a sports bra to sleep in, though I threw a black tank top over to avoid showing the scar on my back. Once my teeth were brushed, my hair was brushed, and I had cleansed my face, I returned to my room and waited.

Once the movement in the house ceased, and remained stagnant for a bit over twenty minutes, I made my escape. I opened my window, checking to make sure I could still catch the branch of the tree growing just outside my window. After assuring myself I could pull off the herculean feat for a second time I stepped out onto the small windowsill, grabbing the storm drain for a bit of support as I closed my bedroom window with my foot. After a bit of an intense struggle, similar to my first time, I turned myself to face the tree branch, and with a slight jump I was able to latch on. I made my way closer to the trunk, and without as much of a struggle I made my way safely to the bottom.

Considering I had quite literally zero dollars and no idea where I could go to encounter an angel, I decided to take my car and drive to a free parking garage in the middle of the city, where several people were likely to be strolling about.

Surprisingly, it seemed as if none of the demons heard my car start or had noticed I'd left by the time I reached the parking garage. As I strolled about the mostly empty streets no familiar faces popped up, and as the minutes dragged on I was beginning to lose hope. At least, until I heard a thick Irish accent.

"Oh, I be smellin' a toastee! 'N a strong one, it be!"

I scanned the few people around me, and a man in a white lab coat stood out to me. He had to be the person talking, with his foreign appearance in the middle of Japan. I didn't want to be completely obvious, as I assumed no humans really knew about toasting and the whole role of demons and angels in the process, so I simply wandered around looking depressed.

The man approached me, and though I was going to pretend I didn't notice, he stepped right in front of me and sniffed me in the most awkward, uncomfortable manner I could possibly imagine. Then he clapped his hands on my shoulders, proclaiming, "Ye be a toastee, lass! Where're them demons when ya need 'em? Worthless, them hooligans are!"

"Sir, please let me go. I have somewhere I need to be." I said, not trying very hard to escape his grip.

"Sorry lass, I can't let ya do that. Since yer a ripe toastee, I need ta make sure ya get to Heaven."

I laughed to myself, looking at him with what I hoped to be dead eyes. "Are you going to kill me? That'd be easier than finding a building to jump off of."

The man's eyes widened, and when I thought he was actually going to kill me, he instead released my shoulders and stepped back. "Oh, death by suicide, I see. Them demons are gettn' creative. I better get outta here, I ain't one to interfere, no." he said, and before I could even blink he'd masked his presence.

I waited several minutes, trudging along for a bit longer before deciding that it may actually be easier to simply jump off a bridge or building. If contacting angels was a bust, there was more than one way I could off myself.

Close to twenty minutes later I took in the view, Tokyo's glimmering lights drowning out the stars in the sky. The space below me was devoid of people, and I could only hope the demons would find me before I had the chance to traumatize some innocent stranger.

With shaky hands I pulled myself up over the railing, fear clutching at my throat as I began to realize that this death would hurt. It would be lonely, and I had no control over who or what found my body first after I took the plunge. But, as the literal weight of the world rested on my shoulders, a strong gust of wind made the decision for me.

My heart dropped to my stomach, and as I felt my body free fall through the air, every emotion seemed to be hitting me at once. Snapshots of my life played before my eyes - my childhood, my time with Eli, the many, many, many heists I'd pulled off, the hundreds of laboratories I'd destroyed, the smiling faces of patients leaving with clean bills of health, the tears of the families whose loved ones I couldn't help fast enough, the past few days throwing the biggest wrench possible in the plan that was supposed to go so perfectly, and finally, a single, smiling face.

As the pavement grew closer I simply wished I had the option to regret my decision. I accepted death, and as the glint of the scythe showed in my peripheral, I closed my eyes.

A hard jerk startled me, and instead of an unimaginable pain, I could still feel the night's breeze. Something held me, suspending me in the air, and as my hand gripped what it was touching, I felt fabric.

I opened my eyes, taking a moment to see through the spots, before I caught sight of a familiar white dress shirt and polka-dot tie. Kakeru's face became apparent to me, and as my hearing was beginning to return, he was yelling.

"What the hell were you thinking, you idiot? You said you were going to sleep!" he yelled, slowly setting me down on the sidewalk. "You scared me half to death! You're lucky I came to talk to you about that letter-"

My hand, just barely capable of making a fist, hit his chest with what little force my racking body could muster. Then again, with my second hand, and again and again as my eyes flooded with terrified, regretful tears. I leaned onto his chest, still hitting him with my weak fists, as I cried, "Why wont you just let me die?"

"Oh, the Demon Prince went n' caught 'er!"

Kekeru's shoulders stiffened, and I looked to the same, lab-coat clad man watching a bit of a ways away.

"They seen you, Rein! Ya better git goin, n' tell 'em what's been happening!" he said, wings sprouting from his back. With one strong flap he was propelled through the air, taking off towards the horizon.

Kakeru made no move to chase him, and as I went to question him, I noticed his hands were shaking too. He held my shoulders, his breath raggedy, and we stood for several minutes in silence.

I rested against his heaving chest, my weak fists ceasing their attack and instead clutching tightly to the fabric of his dress shirt. His arms wrapped tightly around my shoulders, one of his hands cradling the back of my head.

"Lets… let's go home." Kakeru said, his breath a bit more stable.

I said nothing, and seconds later his arm sweeped behind my knees and lifted me off the ground. For some time he held me in silence, and I simply cried into his shoulder to pass the time. The visions I'd seen as I fell played again as he cradled me in his arms, the suffering, the hints of joy, my father's words and my mother's parting smile, Eli's smiles and his tears, and for some reason, Kakeru's smiling face only made my tears thicker.

"We're here." he said, lowering me back to the ground.

The others, including Eli, were gathered in the living room with worried looks on their faces. As Kakeru closed the door their heads snapped up, relief flooding their expressions when they saw me. Eli tackled me first, not saying a word, and Kakeru approached the demons.

"Rein saw me catch her."

"What?" the demos breathed, their faces falling.

"Kakeru, you know that means-"

He held his hand up, as if to silence them, and turned back to me. Eli stood aside, and Kakeru held my shoulders once again.

"Sophie, I'm going to tell you exactly what's going to happen these next two days. Rein is an angel, and right now he's on his way to the angel realm ro report that I've extended a human's lifespan. You know this is taboo among demons, and I'll most likely be exterminated for it."

I didn't know what exterminated meant, but judging by the look on everyone's faces, I assumed it was the equivalent of death for divine beings. Why he gave up his life for a dead woman, and why he couldn't just accept that there was no way out of me dying, I couldn't fathom. The tears that had begun to dissipate came back full swing, and I asked, "Why couldn't you have just let me die, Kakeru? Why did you catch me?"

He smiled a sad smile, and pet my hair with his hand. "I couldn't watch the woman I love kill herself."

My arms wrapped around his torso,and I buried my face in his chest as I replied, "How do you think I feel, watching the man I love kill himself for a dead woman?"

The room was silent, and slowly, Kakeru's hands tried to pry me from his chest. "Sophie… did you just say-"

I squeezed his torso tighter, hoping the blush burning my cheeks hadn't spread to my ears. "Shut up. Just shut up and hold me, you idiot."

Eli's laughter reached my ears, and he said, "I've never seen her act like this. Kakeru, what did you do?"

As his arms wrapped around my shoulders he chuckled, replying, "I don't know, but until they come for me in the morning, I'm going to savor it."

I turned and grabbed Eli's face, pulling him down to meet my eyes. "Are you in danger, Eli?"

He held his hands up defensively, replying, "Rein only has evidence that Kakeru interfered with your toasting, and guardian angels aren't involved with the Fate Database. We simply guide you through life and keep you out of danger when your name isn't in the database."

I narrowed my eyes at him, and when he didn't falter I released his face before turning to the other demons. "What about them? Are they in danger?"

"I'm the leader of this group, and they're under my command. If I take responsibility for keeping you alive, they might get in trouble but they won't get exterminated." Kakeru replied, putting his hand on my hip.

As I looked at the demons and lone angel surrounding me, I felt something in my chest shift. My mind started whirring, and for the first time in a long time, I was beginning to feel excited. I turned to Eli and said, "Hey Eels, can I do something stupid?"

He looked confused, not quite understanding my shift in tone. "I mean, I guess that depends on what it is you want to do?"

I threw him my car keys, and as the tired gears in my head began spinning I spoke. "On my keys is my access card to Shinkou Labs. If you're gonna find anything in there that can stop the virus from spreading, it'll be in there. I'd recommend looking at the main computer, the physical lab, the experiments being stored in the coolers and heaters, and maybe there might be something in the old storage room with scrapped research and data. Now hurry, there's not much time."

He nodded and ran out the door, his wings stretching out as the door closed behind him.

"Sophie, what-"

"Kakeru, will they take me wherever they're going to take you?" I asked, cutting him off.

His expression wavered, and he said, "Well, probably, but you really shouldn't-"

"I'm not stupid enough to think I can take on a whole realm of demons, but I'm smart enough to try to figure a way out of this once I see what I'm dealing with." I grabbed his hands and continued, "I know I said that a life of running away is no life to live, but I haven't been this excited in years. If I can save you and we escape the demon realm, will you come along for the ride?"

He simply looked at me, his eyes wide and mouth slightly agape for several moments before bursting into laughter. "You, save me? You're quite the human, aren't you?" He pulled me to his chest, saying, "We'll see who saves who first."

…

After dinner the demons all returned to their respective bedrooms, and I stayed behind to clean up the dishes. I nearly dropped a plate, though, when a pair of arms hugged me from behind.

"Did I scare you?" Kakeru teased, his breath tickling my neck.

I set the plate in the drying rack, then drained the water from the sink. "You can be really quiet when you want to, you know that?" I replied.

He laughed and started kissing my neck, purposely trying to distract me from finishing up the dishes. I pushed my butt against him, catching him off guard.

"Let me finish the dishes, you asshole, unless you want the kitchen to smell like mold in the morning."

He came back harder, grinding against me as he growled, "How can I keep my hands off of you? You were so cute when you said you love me, and I can't guarantee I'll ever get the chance to do this again."

I turned and crossed my arms, asking, "I'm sorry, a chance to do _what_ exactly?"

He held my hips and leaned in close to me, sucking my neck in between phrases as he said, "You know, hold you, kiss you, touch you… and fuck you."

"Kakeru, honey, just because I'm in love with you doesn't make you special. I don't fuck guys without condoms." I said, pushing his chest with my hand. "Besides, this house is full of people."

"C'mon, Sophie, don't be so cold. I'm practically on death row here, and you're not gonna let me make love to the woman I love?" he pouted, putting an on an exaggerated sad face.

"Gaslighting me isn't going to make me change my mind. Besides, won't the promise of me letting you fuck me however you want a better incentive to live aside from 'I love you, let's run away together?'"

Kakeru looked as if he was about to snap, and he looked at me with seriousness. "Do you understand what you just said? You have no idea what demons are like in bed."

I smirked, and wrapped my arms around his neck. "Oh? Then let me give you some extra bits to rile you up. Aside from Eli, Satoru was the first man to ever see me naked, and the furthest I've ever gone is with him." I pressed my hips and chest against Kakeru, purring in his ear, "Doesn't it make you jealous that the only man's touch I've known is his?"

The next series of events happened in a blur, but before I realized what was going on I was picked up, taken to Kakeru's room, thrown onto his bed, and mounted before I had time to blink. My wrists were held above my head, held in place by Kakeru's right arm as his left slid under my tank top, holding my bare waist. His lips attacked me, nipping at my ears, my neck, and even my own lips in such a lustful frenzy it was hard not to lose myself.

Kakeru's lips then stopped, his heavy breath hovering over my ear as he said, "What did that bastard do to you?"

I couldn't think straight, and for the life of me I couldn't understand who or what he was referring to. "What?"

He pulled back, hovering over me with an expression that reminded me he was, in fact, a demon. "I need to mark you as mine. Anywhere he touched needs to be purified, so tell me what he did to you."

The slight chuckle that came from me wasn't voluntary, and neither was the movement of my body. I was losing myself to something I had never experienced before, but honestly, I didn't try to fight it. If Kakeru wanted me to tell him, I'd tell him.

I smiled, and brought my hands to my lips as I said, "He started here with his lips and tongue, his hands gripping at my waist and hips. Then," I continued, moving my hands over my breasts, "he touched me here, teasing me with his fingers and tongue before going lower." I wrapped my legs around Kakeru's waist, his expression of pure bloodlust amusing. "Though he didn't get as far as taking my panties off."

I hadn't yet heard the audible snap, and because I was completely willing to let whatever side of me that had awakened take full control, I didn't stop the words that came out of my mouth. "Go ahead, Kakeru. Purify me."

He grabbed my face, his lips once again attacking me in a lustful frenzy. Though I assumed my participation only egged him on, as I teased him with my tongue on his bottom lip before he had the chance to.

My tank top fell to the floor and Kakeru's tongue circled mine, his hands touching my bare skin in a way that made thinking straight impossible. This new side of myself was completely taking hold, and I was helpless against it.

An odd shyness gripped at me as Kakeru tugged at my bra, and as my bare chest was exposed my arms covered my face. There was a small fear, a horrifying voice telling me that my chest wasn't something cute or sexy, something underwhelming and easily dismissed. It wasn't a feeling I'd ever felt before, and I didn't like it.

"Let me see your face, Sophie."

I pursed my lips, and I could feel a shadow of tears in my eyes. "No."

His reason seemed to be coming back to him, and his voice showed concern. "Hey, what happened? What's wrong?"

I pursed my lips tighter, and I felt an insecurity I had never realized was there coming at me with it's full power. "I'm scared you'll think I'm not cute."

Slowly Kakeru moved my arms from my face, and as tears began falling from my eyes he said, "Sophie, you're so cute I can't stand it."

He kissed me, the strange insecurity beginning to fade, and as his lips chased away my fears his hands gently touched my breasts and squeezed.

"Is this okay?" he asked.

I nodded, and as his lips trailed down my neck, I relaxed my shoulders and surrendered myself over to this new feeling. Kakeru removed his shirt, pressing himself against me as he returned for my lips once more. The new sensation of skin-to-skin contact made my head spin, and as his hands once again moved to touch my chest I found myself clinging to him. His lips then travelled again, moving past my collarbone and lightly sucking on my nipple.

My back arched and I grabbed his hair, a soft moan escaping my lips on no accord of my own. It seemed to encourage Kakeru, however, as his hand began gently flicking my other nipple. I tried as hard as I possibly could to subdue my moans into small whines, but an unforeseen side effect of focusing my control on my voice was losing control of my body. My hips began grinding against him, making it even harder to subdue my moaning, and before long my sweatpants were on the floor.

It seemed he noticed the large, discolored patch of skin on the back of my thigh, and though I vaguely recalled telling him it was a gunshot scar that same insecurity he had just batted away came back. But it seemed as if he could tell I was feeling the insecurity, as his hands gently stroked my thighs and his lips trailed closer and closer to my panties.

His fingers hooked my panties and pulled bringing them up and discarding them on the floor. I pressed my legs tightly together, the initial shyness clutching at me. "You're the first… to see it. At least like this." I said. "I'm nervous."

He smiled and rested his hands on my knees. "Let me see."

Slowly I relaxed my legs, spreading them gradually until I felt too embarrassed to move them any more. I covered my face with my hands, and though I had expected Kakeru to ask me to move them, he instead decided to surprise me.

His hands held my hips, and his tongue gently pressed against my clit. The feeling sent a jolt straight up my spine, my back arching as I bit down on my hand to keep from crying out. My free hand grabbed his hair, and as his tongue began to move, my head started to feel fuzzy.

I bit down hard on my hand to keep from crying out, each flick of Kakeru's tongue and independent throbbing on my clit pushing me closer and closer towards something I didn't know, his ironclad grip on my hips keeping me in place as my back arched further and further, my toes curling as I also desperately tried to not pull his hair, but rather run my fingers through it to let him know that whatever he was trying to do, it was probably working.

Just as I thought the surprises were over, a strange tingling began to intensify as he continued. I tried my best not to moan as I said, "K-Kakeru, it feels, ah, it feels weird! Kakeru, ah, ah! It feels, ah, Kak-ooh-nn-!"

My mind went blank, my toes and fingers curling as my back arched even further, the walls of my vagina contracting as waves of pleasure loosened every muscle in my body, and as my mind began to come back, my body was completely limp.

Kakeru lied next to me, smirking. "'Kakkun'? Is that your cute name for your boyfriend?"

I didn't have the energy or the mind power to argue with him, so I just muttered a simple, "Shut up, asshole."

He turned me onto my side and pulled me to his chest, replying, "That's not a nice thing to say to someone who just made you cum."

"It's cold." I said, nuzzling into him. "I'm sleepy."

He kissed my forehead. "Alright, let's get you cleaned up and we'll go to sleep."

After I got back into my pajamas, Kakeru turned off the light, threw the blanket over us, wrapped me in his arms, then offered a "Good night, Sophie," before we fell asleep.


	9. Chapter 9

2 Days Until I'm Toast…

…

I was wrapped in a comforting warmth, and as I groggily began to shift I found myself huddling into it. The blinding light of my phone screen allowed me to be somethat functional in mere minutes, and I realized three things.

First, I was not in my bed. Second, someone was lying shirtless in front of me. Third, I was literally jetpacking against said shirtless person.

As I recollected myself, not wanting to scream at four in the morning, I recalled the previous nights… antics. The annoying shyness I couldn't comprehend made me blush, and though I was embarrassed I returned to jetpacking Kakeru. He was asleep, and though his broad shoulders and slightly messy hair covered his face, I knew what it looked like thanks to Meguru's bravery.

I scrolled on my phone for close to twenty minutes, sorting through junk email and clearing notification bubbles from my apps before I decided I was completely shameless and wanted to cuddle him a bit closer. I tucked my phone under my pillow and wrapped my arm around him, my hand landing at his upper stomach. My face nuzzled itself into the back of his shoulder as I drew my legs closer behind his, my arm squeezing his torso just a bit.

Usually I didn't pay much attention to others unless I knew I was going to fight them, though I would often tease Eli about his gargantuan proportions, but as I held Kakeru I realized just how tall he was, and how much broader his shoulders were. I was by no means short, but as I spooned him my toes landed at his heels, and my nose would just about tickle the crook of his neck.

As I rested against his shoulder, an odd urge hit me. I didn't think much as I opened my mouth and lightly pressed my teeth against his shoulder, using the slightest pressure I could to essentially bite his shoulder. Why on Earth I wanted to softly bite him I had no idea, but it was already done and I couldn't take it back.

"Did you just bite me?"

I tensed, and I knew the slight, rosy blush on my cheeks was even more noticeable as all the color drained from my face, and my heart stopped in my chest. I had been caught red-handed, and I had never quite experienced such an instantaneous regret.

"...How long have you been awake?"

"A few minutes, since before you put your phone away." He craned his neck to look back at me. "You're being a bit forward, Sophie. Want to go for round two? I can be rough."

"You're so mean to me." I said, pressing my cheek to his shoulder and hiding my face in the pillow.

Kakeru shifted to his other side, facing me as his arm wrapped around my back. "If I'd known you were this cute, I'd have tried even harder to make you fall in love with me."

I pouted, and though I knew he was trying to embarass me on purpose I was powerless against his teasing. "I'm gonna tell Eli you're being mean to me next time I see him. He'll kick your ass, then I'll kick your ass."

He pretended he wasn't laughing as he kissed my hair. "Yeah, yeah. Now come on, let me see your face."

"It's dark. You can't see it anyway." I said, burying my face further into the pillow.

"I'm a demon, Sophie. I can see pretty well in the dark."

Slowly I turned my face from the pillow, scowling at him out of both defeat and embarrassment. "Stupid Kakkun."

He couldn't hold back his laughter, and spent a good five minutes with his hand clapped over his mouth to prevent waking the other demons. I went back to my phone and began getting myself ready for the day, deciding exactly how I would act and what purpose that would serve.

"What time are they coming?" I asked, sitting up.

Kakeru's silence came to a stiff halt, and his tone became serious. "About seven."

"I'm going to start getting ready, then." I said, standing from the bed. "Get some rest. I'm planning to raise some hell."

…

At approximately six thirty I was ready to go. I wore clothes comfortable enough to spend a few days in, but also functional enough to aid me in my mission. I pulled my hair up into a simple ponytail, as I didn't quite feel like doing something nice to it, and I had brushed my teeth enough to hold me over for one night without. Part of my plan was to go without eating for as long as I possibly could, and because I had gotten used to eating actual meals over the past few days, I hoped two days without was enough to make a difference.

The other demons began collecting downstairs as I finished up their early breakfast, all a bit somber as I had expected. Kakeru was the last to arrive, strangely, at about six-forty.

"Ah, Kakkun, I made a bigger serving for you. If you don't eat it all, I'll kick your ass before whoever in the demon realm can." I said.

He laughed and sat at the table, a, "yeah, yeah," reaching my ears as I began cleaning up the dishes.

"Are you not eating with us, Sophie?" Meguru asked, his eyes puffy.

I smiled, feeling a bit bad for not joining what may well have been our last meal together. "Sorry, Meguru, I snacked a bit too much while cooking."

His face began to distort, but he managed to keep somewhat of a smile on his face as he asked, "Will you eat with us when you come back?"

"Meguru!" Satoru exclaimed.

I approached the table and rubbed his hair, saying, "If Eli can't find out how to stop the virus I won't be back, but I promise you, on my mother, that Kakeru will come back."

"Sophie-!"

I felt my face soften, and I removed my hand from Meguru's head. "They'll be here soon. Hurry and finish up so I can do the dishes."

At exactly two minutes after seven, as I was finishing up the last plate, the doorbell rang. Haruhito, the closest to the door, opened it. Two large, intimidating men stood, stone-cold looks on their faces. They both had short brown hair, however one had a small but noticeable scar on his chin.

"We've come for His Highness, and the human." they said. "We will allow two minutes to say your farewells."

"Ooh, scary." I said, dropping my gloves on the counter. "I didn't know your scary soldiers took fashion inspiration from _The Matrix_."

Satoru and Haruhito tried not to laugh, managing to cut their chuckles short as I stood beside Kakeru. Meguru hugged me first, and he said, "I'm sorry it turned out this way. I wish there was something I could do."

I leaned in close to his ear, making sure no one else was listening as I whispered, "There is. I have letters for you all on my nightstand. Make sure to read them very, very carefully."

He pulled back, and he tried his hardest to look sad instead of excited. I gave casual goodbyes to Haruhito and Shiki, as I didn't get as close to them as anyone else, but they still made a point to say they enjoyed the extra livelihood in the house in Haruhito's case, and the good, home-cooked food in Shiki's case.

Satoru was the last to say goodbye to me, wrapping me in a tight embrace. "I read your letter."

"I'm sorry, Satoru. Really, I am."

He hugged me tighter. "Don't be. I'm the one who's sorry. I couldn't protect you, and even now I can't do anything."

"That's not true." I said, discreetly slipping my cellphone into his front pocket. "Talk to Meguru after we leave, and ask him how to use it if you can't figure it out. Eli should be calling soon."

He smiled, a slight chuckle coming from him. "You're crazy, Sophie." He pulled back, continuing, "But that's what I love about you."

The two intimidating demons approached, one of them stopping before me as Satoru stood over by the couch. It was the one with the scar, and he looked at me with disgust. "You weren't just content with seducing His Highness, were you, human? You even went after the Vice-Captain. How despicable."

I grabbed the demon's face, pulling his face closer to mine. "How about I take you for a spin too, hotshot? I like bad boys, as you can-"

His fist hit my jaw and I could swear I heard a crack, but I forced myself to remain upright and to not stumble back. I held my jaw and turned back to him, saying, "What, is that all you got? My grandma hits harder than that."

"She's literally crazy." Shiki said, his usual tired expression instead one of surprise.

The demon grabbed the hood of my sweatshirt and pushed, forcing me towards the door. "Watch yourself, human."

I snuck a peek at Kakeru, who looked like he was barely holding himself together. It was difficult to keep the smile off my face, but for the sake of his life, I kept instead the cocky smirk plastered over my expression of joy.

After some time we reached a small, wooded area. The four of us stood before a large stone, a door-sized hole with a staircase appearing as the demon tailing Kakeru approached. I was impressed, but I had an act to keep up and said nothing.

The magic staircase spit us out in another set of woods, however in this wood the stars were out, the moon was blood red, and there was a massive, eerie, gargoyle-covered castle with a skull stained glass window just before us.

"The sixteenth century called, it wants its gothic architecture back." I said, internally marveling at the detailed craftsmanship and detail in every facet of the exterior.

"Shut up and move." the demon holding me said, pushing me once again to move forward.

I snuck another glance at Kakeru, and his clenched jaw, though objectively terrifying, only made me giddier and giddier by the second.

We entered the main hall of the caste, a massive corridor opening up. To the side stood a man in a three piece suit, and eyepatch over his left eye. "Young Master, Miss, we've been awaiting you." he said.

"I never thought Emilio Largo would end up a butler." I said, trying not to laugh at my own joke.

The scarred demon grabbed me by the front of my jacket, lifting me from the ground as he snarled, "I'm getting sick of your mouth. How about I-"

"Thank you very much for bringing them here, gentleman. Allow me to handle things from here." the butler said, standing before us.

The demon dropped me, and as my feet hit the floor I felt a sharp pain shoot through my ankle. "Consider yourself lucky, human." he spat, turning on his heel and following his partner down the opposite corridor.

Kakeru turned to me as soon as the other demons footsteps could no longer be heard. "What are you thinking, purposely provoking them like that?"

The butler looked at him and said, "It seems the young master is truly engrossed in this lady."

I looked to Kakeru and smiled, putting my hand over my mouth as I repeated, "'Young Master'?"

He looked at me, his temper visibly flaring. He turned to the butler, and in the calmest tone he could possibly muster, he said, "...Shidou, how many times do I have to tell you to stop calling me 'young master'?"

"The young master is the young master." he said, returning Kakeru's glare. "I have served the Kamui household since you were a boy. It if for that reason I find this turn of events particularly unfortunate. His Lordship, the Demon King, is not forgiving when it comes to the law. Regardless of your reasons, I do not expect him to pardon your breaking the law."

I stifled my laughter, purposely making it so they saw I was. "I guess that's how it is down here, huh?" I looked at Shidou and asked, "Can I bother you to explain what's going to happen to us?"

Shidou turned and Kakeru began to follow him, and I followed suit. As we walked he said, "The hearing for the young master's extermination will be held tomorrow morning when his Lordship returns from the Angel Realm. Until then, you and the young master will be held in separate quarters under supervision. You will be provided with lunch and dinner today, and breakfast tomorrow morning at noon, six in the evening, and seven in the morning precisely."

I looked to the closest clock in the hall, and it was currently nine thirty.

"Tomorrow, you both will appear before a board consisting of his Lordship and seven of his advisors. They will hear your testimonies, and will make a decision on your fates, as well as the fates of the young master's subordinates." He stopped before a door, and two guards stood at the sides. "Young master, here is your room."

Kakeru's face was distorted with sadness and anger, and though it was part of my plan, I felt bad for him. I grabbed his hand and smiled, saying, "Hey, it's alright. I won't do anything stupid."

He held my face in his hand. "I'll see you tomorrow, then?"

I leaned into his hand. "Yeah. Make sure the food they give you isn't poisoned."

He laughed, a smile finally breaking through his tense expression. "I should say the same to you." His expression softened as he stroked my cheek with his thumb. "Just be safe, whatever you do. If you're not there tomorrow, I don't know what I'd do."

"Of course I'll be there. I can't let you have all the spotlight."

Shidou cleared his throat. "Young master, I'll be taking the lady to her room."

Kakeru reluctantly released my face, and after kissing me on the forehead he went into his room.

Shidou and I walked in silence, and I made sure to keep track of windows, how many doors we passed, and which directions we turned through the hallways.

"I can assume the lady is engrossed in the young master, as well?"

I was caught off guard by his tone, not so formal and a bit like an inquisitive gossiper. It relaxed me a bit, and I decided opening up to him may prove useful. "Yes, I'm quite fond of your young master." I replied, smiling. "I fought valiantly against him, but I proved weak against the brute force of his affection."

Shidou stopped before a door, two more guards standing beside it. "Here is your room, Miss. Please refrain from exiting unless it is absolutely necessary." he said, his tone reverting back to normal as he opened the door.

I felt as if we had established some sort of bond, and I made a gamble as I decided to show my cockiness was as act. I smiled at him, striding into the room and calling over my shoulder, "Don't worry Emilio, I'll only come running if I have to take a piss or I see James Bond climbing up the window."

I didn't see Shidou's face as the door closed, but I assumed he understood what I was trying to do. So, as his footsteps faded down the hallway, I set to work.

First I inspected every window, and as I expected they were all locked. When I tried to move the latch it was secured in place, and I figured there was some kind of magic something-or-other keeping me from unlocking it. I knew that if I could get outside, Kakeru's room was approximately three rooms to the right on the floor above me.

There wasn't much else I could to to escape, as the room had no other doors aside from the one Shidou had closed. Inside was a bed, a nightstand, a dresser, a wardrobe, and several pieces of decor, all of which appeared to be hand-crafted and exorbitantly expensive. Other than the windows, I had no idea what to do. So, I simply flopped down onto the comfy mattress, and waited.

{...}

It took everything I had to not destroy everything around me. I wanted to smash everything in the room and kill the guard who dared lay his hands on Sophie, but if she had a plan in motion I knew I had to be patient and let her plans go accordingly. Considering she single-handedly planned out the prevention of the spread and further production of a bio-weapon, I had every reason to trust her.

But I wanted to save her first.

After two hours of sitting and doing nothing, Shidou entered with a cart. On top was a platter of exotic and expensive food, and though throughout my childhood I considered it the pinnacle of dining, all I wanted was Sophie's miso soup. Hell, anything she made would taste better than anything money could provide.

"Here is your lunch, Young Master. I will return to collect the platter in one hour." he said, placing everything on the nightstand beside my bed.

"Shidou."

He looked at me, his overly-formal posture and speak unwavering. "Yes, young master?"

"Please let Sophie and me escape." I asked, grabbing his shoulder. "I've never asked anything of you until now, have I?"

"Young master, I am in no position to oblige your request." he said, still somehow holding onto the coldness he always treated me with. "I must say I am also disappointed in you. Letting a human woman steal your heart, I had always thought your would follow the Demon King in his footsteps. It is a pity to learn you were a man of such low standards."

"Are you finished?" I snapped, tired of his by-the book tirade. "Look, Shidou. I always thought of you as an elder brother, so I'll be honest."

"Young master-"

"Stop calling me young master already. It's just as you said. Sophie stole my heart. I'm the most surprised out of everyone. I never knew I could have feelings like this, but when I first saw her pained eyes, I realized that she was special. Sophie feels things so deeply, and has done everything for the sake of other people. She has a brilliant mind, an unwavering will, an electric personality, and the most charming, heartwarming smile I've ever seen. I'm completely taken with her, and I'm certain that she is the absolute love of my life. So please… please let us escape."

Shidou's expression still did not waver, and he pulled away from my grasp. "I apologize, young master, but as I have previously stated I am in no position to oblige your request." he replied, grabbing the handle of the cart.

I looked at him, hoping to get just a sliver of confirmation of maybe a plan, or something Sophie instilled in him, but I got nothing. As hopelessness gripped at my stomach, I resigned to a simple, "It's been good, Shidou."

He left the room.

{...}

The door opened, and instead of some random housemaid, I was surprised to find Shidou wheeling in a cart topped with some of the most expensive looking food I had ever seen. As Shidou placed everything on the nightstand, he spoke in a low voice.

"Miss Thompson, I must inform you that I currently have a small barrier set up around me. What I am about to discuss with you must be kept private, for the sake of the young master, you, and myself."

"I understand." I replied, feeling ecstatic that I had actually managed to get one of the demons on the inside on my side.

"First, I must apologize for my rude behavior. I have no choice in front of those in the castle." he said. "I serve the Kamui household, and cannot act on my own publically. That is why I have made this barrier, to beg you to save Young Master Kakeru."

I smiled. "I've been planning to from the start."

"The young master is a person of great importance to me. I cannot allow him to be exterminated. The Demon King, regardless of testimony, will most likely ask his advisors to accept Kakeru's extermination, and officially turn over the throne to Meguru." Shidou looked at me, and for the first time I saw a real expression on his face. He looked sad, scared, and a bit lost as he said, "Miss Thompson, the young master has never asked anything of me before. When I delivered his meal, he asked me to save the two of you, and explained to me just how he came to love you a great deal. You are the one who warmed up his heart as a person, so I beg of you… please bring happiness to the young master."

A slight chuckle made itself apparent, and I smiled."I promise you, Shidou, when we get out of here Kakeru will be happy as a clam. But first, I'd like to tell you exactly what I'm planning to do."

Shidou's face relaxed, before returning to its normal coldness. "Please hurry. If I do not exit soon, the guards will become suspicious."

"Kakeru's anger is something I'm banking heavily on. I need him to snap and do something rash at the hearing, and though I understand this is extremely dangerous, I need to be put into a position where I believe either he or I will be badly hurt. If I can get to that point, I know I'll be able to get us out safely." I said, hoping he wouldn't withdraw his support after hearing how risky my plan was. "When bad things happen to me or those I care about, something happens to me. I can't explain it, but I trust enough in that to bet my life and Kakeru's on it."

Shidou's expression did not waver, but as he wheeled the cart back towards the door he said quietly, "I understand." Then, he was gone.

I sat for some time, and after an hour Shidou fetched the untouched platter without a word, but the eye-contact he made with me told me that Kakeru was very much falling victim to my plan. When he left, and I had close to five hours to kill, I once again returned to the windows. There were five, and as I fiddled with the locks it seemed that I still had no hope of getting outside.

At least, that was until the fifth window unlocked.

I wondered if Shidou had something to do with it, but I didn't give it much real thought as I scanned the area below me and above me, making sure no demons were patrolling, before stepping out onto the ledge and making my way past the next fifteen windows.

The ledge was wide enough to plant my feet on, but the dangerous part of the operation would be climbing up to the next set of windows. It was close to five feet above me, and as I stood below the first window of Kakeru's room I wondered what I could latch onto to pull myself up.

It was then I noticed I was just short of a thinner secondary ledge, and though it would be nearly impossible to put my feet on it, I figured if I could latch on with my fingers and secure my foot on the slight ledge of the window's detailing, I could stretch my arm far enough to reach the bottom of Kakeru's window.

I took a deep breath and jumped, trying to latch onto the small ledge but not quite securing enough of a grip to stick. I tried once more, still not quite sticking the landing, and as my heel didn't land on the legde I started feeling a bit of a panic. I needed to latch on, or I'd eventually miss the ledge by too much and plummet to the ground.

After a couple more deep breaths I jumped again, and just as I thought I had secured a good grip my fingers began slipping. Hurriedly I pulled myself up, desperately searching for the slight ledge of the window to rest my foot on. As my fingers drew dangerously close to the edge my toes finally made contact, and with a quick thrust I released one hand from the small ledge and reached for the windowsill.

My foot lost contact with the window's ledge, and as I feared I would pummel to my death, my sweaty fingers somehow made contact with the windowsill that I thought had been much higher. I pulled myself up, resting my toes on the thin ledge I had previously latched onto, and I finally was able to look into Kakeru's room.

He was sitting on the bed facing the door, his head in his hands. It appeared that he hadn't broken anything in the room, and I was glad to see that he had so far managed to contain the rage boiling inside him. I knocked lightly on the window, loud enough for him to hear but hopefully not loud enough to catch the ears of the guards.

His gaze snapped to the window, and as he met my eyes I smiled and waved as if me dangling outside his window was completely normal. He practically ran to the window, throwing it open and saying in a hushed, angry whisper, "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

I pushed my finger to my lips, and Kakeru helped me up into his room. He didn't even bother to close the window before taking me in his arms.

"I put up a barrier, so they can't hear or see us." he said. He then held my shoulders and pulled back just far enough to see my face. "Now tell me, what the hell were you thinking? The guards could have seen you, or you could have fallen-"

"I had to see you. I keep thinking about tomorrow, and I'm so scared that my plan won't work out the way I hope it will." I replied, hoping that my forced pain seemed real to him. "I can't stand the thought of losing you, too."

Kakeru's expression softened, and he lightly touched my cheek. "That guard hit you really hard. Your cheek is starting to bruise. I can heal-"

"If you heal my cheek, Shidou will know I was here. He saw it when he got my plate." I rested my head on his chest. "I managed to unlock one of the windows, and I mapped out where your room was as Shidou took me to mine. I didn't think."

Kakeru's shoulders relaxed, and he hugged me again. "You're crazy, you know that?" he said, his voice sounding lighter than it had been. "I'm glad to hear you have a plan. If you think something will work and it'll get us out of here, I trust you."

I smiled, and breathed deeply. "That makes me feel better. I can't tell you exactly what the plan is, but I'm pulling some strings to make things happen a certain way during the hearing. I'm planning for multiple outcomes, though the hope is that our testimonies are strong enough to sway the hearts of the King's advisors."

"My father will be impossible to convince, but if his advisors are convinced of our innocence he won't have much of a choice but to let us go."

One of the guards outside the door cleared his throat, startling us both.

"I should get back. The guards open my door every half hour to make sure I haven't left or done anything." I said, lying through my teeth.

Kakeru scoffed, saying, "For how much we demons think of humans as lowly, they sure aren't taking any chances on you. Do you want me to take you back to your room? Nobody can see through my barrier."

"Just put me on the ledge lining up with the lower story's windows. Your windows are unlocked, and I know that if you know where my room is you'll do something stupid. Please just stay in here, and I'll see you tomorrow." I replied, walking over to the window.

"You don't have any faith in me? And you're not even going to kiss me?" Kakeru said, opening the window.

I smiled and kissed him, holding his face in my hands. He then lowered me out of the window, and once my feet were securely on the largest ledge I began making my way back to my room. Once I was inside I began doing a bit of thinking, mostly planning for anything that could happen and preparing my testimony for the next day.


	10. Chapter 10

1 Day Until I'm Toast…

…

"Miss Thompson, it is time for your and the young master's hearing before His Lordship."

I turned to Shidou, and as my tired eyes struggled to stay open and my aching stomach grumbled for the thousandth time, I stood. "Welp, looks like it's time to grovel like the meanger, puny little deceiving human I am."

Outside, instead of the guards who had been outside my door, I saw the same scarred guard that had caused the massive bruise on my cheek. He smiled. "Let's hope your testimony is good, or else I might have a bit too much fun exterminating you."

I smiled back as he grabbed my arm roughly, saying, "You know, that murderous look in your eyes only makes you more sexy. In addition to bad boys, I like it rough."

The demon shoved me, not saying a word as he lead Kakeru and me out of the castle. There was a small arena, stone seats surrounding the small dirt platform. In the middle of the seats there appeared to be a section with a large, curved table. I assumed that's where the advisors and the Demon King would sit.

The guards that escorted Kakeru and me bound our hands behind our backs, me with a regular rope and Kakeru with what looked to be handcuffs. I knew he would be able to break out of normal handcuffs easily, so I assumed they had been affected with magic to either suppress his strength, or they were made strong enough to withstand it.

After several minutes the stands were filled with demons, all of them chatting about how Kakeru had fallen victim to a witch's spell, or that he'd gone off the deep end. I found their idle cat annoying, frankly, and I wanted nothing more than to get this whole thing over with.

The advisors finally showed up minutes later, and I assumed the Demon King, with his snooty attitude, angry expression, and impressive mustache, was the man in the middle of them all. My suspicion was confirmed when he spoke.

"We will now begin the formal hearing of Crown Prince Kakeru Kamui, and human Sophie Thompson. My son, we shall hear your testimony first."

Kakeru pursed his lips, and looked at me for a moment before turning back to the board. "Sophie isn't some regular human, and it was my fault that the original toasting attempt didn't happen. She had the guts to make a deal with a demon who had just tried to kill her, and I allowed her ten extra days to do something she had been working towards her whole life. Trust me, Father, I'm more surprised than anybody. I never expected to love, let alone love a human, but Sophie taught me things I had never known about humans. She showed me just how selfless people can be, and how much they can push themselves to reach their goals. I watched her put herself in danger to protect those around her, and I watched her fight her way through a sea of men to prove herself. She taught me what it meant to give something your all, and she taught me what it meant to lose someone important to you." Kakeru bowed his head. "If you will allow me to live, I will most certainly give up my right to the throne without a fight. I will gladly give up my powers and live as a human. I will do anything to be with her, because I cannot stand the thought of living even a single day without her. So please, Father, advisors, let us live."

The Demon King turned to me, his angry expression unwavering. "Sophie Thompson, we will now hear your testimony."

I pursed my lips, and of the thousands and thousands of ways I could approach this, ways that I could shock and surprise, ways I could disgust and revolt, for once, I decided to simply speak without thinking.

"Listen, I know that this hearing is simply a formality, and that you want nothing more than to wipe Kakeru and me from existence as soon as possible. But, I do love your son, and I at least want to tell you the truth. When I was originally supposed to die, I was just within a few days reach of killing my father. He was constructing a bio-weapon with the ability to wipe out all humans and land animals, and possibly a decent chunk of marine life. I was the only person, perhaps the only other being in the universe who knew what he was doing, and I had to stop it. Because I had the chance, I begged and threatened Kakeru to let me live for another ten days. I will die before tomorrow night, whether it be by Kakeru, you all, or my own hand. I am the last piece of my father's weapon, and I will not stand to be the weak link that allows his bio-weapon to wipe out this planet." I looked to Kakeru, who had an expression of shock on his face, before turning back to the board. "It may not mean much coming from a human, but I beg of you, please spare your prince's life. He has an eternity to continue to prove himself and strive for perfection as he always does. My life will be tarnished regardless of the decision reached. I was never supposed to be here, and I was never supposed to throw a wrench in the life he had lived previously. You can exterminate me, and make it so my soul will never be reincarnated, but please, let him live." I bowed my head to them. "Please, let him live."

The Demon King's expression still did not change. "The board and I will now discuss our verdict. Please allow several minutes for us to make a decision."

The board whispered amongst each other, and I smiled as Kakeru's worried face grew more and more apparent. After what must have not been longer than a minute, the Demon King spoke once again.

"Prince Kakeru, Sophie Thompson, the board has discussed and reached a verdict. Due to the severity of your crimes, we have decided you shall both be exterminated."

I looked to Kekeru, who was also looking at me, and laid the final straw to break the camel's back. "I'm sorry, Kakeru. I tried to save you, but it looks like this time my plan didn't work." I smiled. "I'm sorry it's come to this, but can I be selfish enough to say I'm glad my last days were spent with you loving me?"

"Sophie!"

My heart dropped to my stomach, and as my head whipped into the direction of the voice, brilliant white wings contrasted against the dark, gloomy Demon Realm.

"It's Elijah, Angel of Saint Michael!" one of the advisors exclaimed, his face turning pale.

Eli stopped before me, resting his hands on my shoulders. "Sophie, when you erased the data for the virus, it rendered the auto strain ineffective! You wiped out the autopilot instructions, so now the viral cells are dormant!"

"What? Was it really that easy all along?" I asked, a wave of shock making my tired limbs feel weak.

"Yes! I found some old samples in a Petri dish and they were completely inactive! Sophie, you're cured! You're not going to die! The virus is harmless now!" Eli exclaimed, joyful tears streaming down his cheeks.

"Eli, it doesn't matter anymore. Kakeru and I have both been sentenced to be exterminated." I said, smiling. "Thank you for everything, Eli, including this. But I can't wiggle my way out of this one."

"Sophie, you've got to be kidding me! Was a testimony what you were banking on to get us out of this? There's no way you'd think that would work!" Kakeru exclaimed, his frustrations and temper finally starting to boil over.

"Elijah of Saint Michael, please do not interfere. We must exterminate this human for her crimes." the scarred guard said, approaching me. "She will be exterminated first."

"Eli, move." I said. "It's too late now."

Eli's face fell, and as he looked back and forth between the demon and me, he slowly backed up.

"Sophie, wait-"

"Kakeru, leave me behind. Once I'm gone there's nothing holding you back. Escape, and use the power I know you possess to live." I smiled, not meeting his eyes. "Live the life I was never allowed to."

"Enough of your mouth, human. Your extermination will bring me great joy." the guard said, his hand reaching for my face.

"No!"

Eli tackled the demon, wrestling him to the ground as Kakeru broke his restraints. Kakeru went straight for the board of advisors, his hand reaching for the sky and summoning a powerful storm.

My restraints fell from my arms, and I saw Satoru smiling widely. "This is part of your plan, isn't it?" he yelled over the wind.

"It's not over yet!" I yelled back, holding onto his arm as to not be toppled by the storm.

The other demons were also present, each of them tackling the advisors in order to prevent them from reaching me. I felt the adrenaline begin pumping through my veins, the promise of unfair combat once again making me want to do nothing but join them.

A scream sounded over the wind, and the brilliant white wings of my best friend were splattered with red. Vibrant, beautiful, destructive blood red.

"Eli!" I exclaimed, intending to run to him. However, as I took my first step to bold to his side, the world around me went black.

{...}

"Papa! Papa!"

"Shut up! I'll cut your tongue out if you scream again!" a large man threatened, gripping a young girl's throat tightly.

The girl continued to cry, shushing her sobs to not anger the man as her arms were tied together. Five other men stood around a table, laughing at her. The little girl only recognized guns, alcohol, and cigarettes, but she assumed the other things on the table weren't good ones. One of the men stood and disappeared behind a rack of weapons, but the little girl's attention was diverted as one of the men remaining at the table spoke.

"Where'd ya find er?" one of the men asked in a drunken and raspy voice, blowing smoke from a cigar.

The man who had grabbed her by the throat took a swig from one of the bottles. "Walkin around near the clinic. It's Wacko's daughter."

"Ya mean the doc's? He'll pay a fortune for 'er." a third man replied.

"I think we should rough er up a bit first, ta show ol' Wack we're serious." the first man said, smiling.

An intense fear began to take hold of the girl as she realized none of these men were good, and nobody was going to help her. She would have screamed again, but she knew staying quiet was the only way to stay alive. The man handcuffed her to some sort of piping, and she was unable to move very much. Of course she struggled, but her small body was unable to break the chains.

"Go grab me a knife-"

A rack full of weapons was knocked to the ground, and the man who previously disappeared returned with a gun in his hand. "Police! Nobody move! You're all being arrested for kidnapping and the possession of illegal firearms and narcotics!"

"I knew he was fishy!" the other man who hadn't spoken up yelled, pulling a pistol out of his jacket.

As blue and red lights began reflecting on the walls through the windows all hell broke loose, and the little girl was amazed. An angel, disguised as a devil, came to save her and take out the demons. At least, that's hat her innocent mind wanted to happen.

It was then the angel's white wings were splattered in red and went limp, a dull thud following the deafening silence. Three demons went down, but there was still one left. With his face splattered in blood he walked over to the little girl, and before she could even scream she felt immense pain in her head. Her vision went red for a split second, and then it was all black.

{...}

The human's screech attracted the attention of a few, but a blinding light and the suppression of the Demon Prince's storm caused the fighting to cease. All attention was drawn to her, the demon's eyes wide and filled with disbelief.

Her eyes glowed a brilliant white, and as her feet left the ground white wings sprouted from her back, illuminating the dark night sky. Before the demons had a chance to fully see them che scarged, one little flap sending her like a bullet to her target. She moved with a sense of desperation - she was going to protect everything she needed to, and no one was going to stand in her way.

The demon leaning over the injured angel was thrown back, the girl's expression calm. She set foot on the ground and rested her wings. They were grand; giant white wings that dragged behind her as she walked. They were fast, strong, and light. They could allow her to do anything she wanted to do, and she was ready to use them to her full advantage.

"You hurt my angel, but this time I can protect them." she said, her voice overpowering.

The ground shook, and the girl faced the new challenger. But, it seemed they had no intention to fight.

"Ah, if it isn't the special case soul Victoria." the Demon King said. "I do wish you would have informed us this was the human vessel a bit sooner."

"Special case?" Kakeru repeated, confused.

"Must you always make such a ruckus? In this case, you even stole the heart of my son." the Demon King continued, ignoring Kakeru's confusion.

"I'm simply fixing a mistake." she replied, a smug smile on her face. "Sophie's name was never meant to be in the Fate Database, but somehow it got there before I was ready. Due to certain circumstances I convinced the angels to leave her alone, but you were incompetent and sent your demons after her. Now, since I wasn't able to prepare myself fully, she will have to merge her soul with my angel properties."

"Wait, who is Veronica? What the hell happened to Sophie?" Satoru asked, confused.

"My, my, Veronica, you've caused quite a ruckus, haven't you?"

All attention turned to a man with long white hair and a tired face, pale fingers clutching a small cepter. He turned to the Demon King. "Do you mind if I explain?"

"The Angel King!" Meguru exclaimed, his eyes wide.

He moved over to the girl, stroking her face. "Young Veronica was never meant to die, and because of a mistake in the Fate Database her guardian angel was killed. Her soul, quite young and not yet prepared to be recycled, split in half. Almost thirty years ago the Demon King and I made a secret pact, allowing Victoria's half of the soul to be elevated to that of an angel while the second half would mature as a human soul. But it seems there was another mistake, and now Sophie's soul has been targeted as well." He turned to the demons. "Victoria is already beginning the merge with Sophie's soul, and as such her angelic soul will absorb the human one. This in turn will create an intact angelic soul, and Sophie will become an angel."

The Demon King rubbed his temple, saying, "If I knew this was the troublesome human to possess the half soul I would have assigned someone to keep her name out of the database."

"Your actions helped save her. All of you have corrected an error made by whoever entered her name in the database, and as such, exterminating you would be a break of my and the Demon King's agreement." the Angel King said, smiling. "So I thank you, demons, Elijah, for protecting her."

The girl fell to her knees, holding her head.

"Oh, it seems the merge is complete."

{...}

When I came to, I was surprised to see Kakeru's face without a scratch on it. He was calling my name, and when the dizziness went away just enough for me to focus, I asked, "What happened? Are we safe?"

"You're more than safe, Soph."

"Eli!" I yelled, nearly tripping over my own feet as I ran to him. "Eli! Eli! Are you okay? Talk to m-"

"Calm down. I'm not hurt." he said calmly.

"But the blood-"

He hushed me. "I figured you were waiting for your adrenaline to take over, so I pushed you along a little bit. But more importantly, do you notice anything different about yourself?"

I didn't quite understand what he meant, but as I turned to look at my back, massive wings had sprouted from out of nowhere. "What the hell? Why do I have wings?"

"Sophie."

I turned to the new voice, and someone I had never seen before was smiling as if he's known me all my life.

"I'm glad to finally meet you. Allow me to explain everything."

…

"I see." I said, moving my wings a bit. "So does this mean I'll have to start working in the Angel Realm? Oh, do angels have cool powers too?"

The Angel King smiled. "Your circumstances are quite special, so you aren't bound to the same rules as most angels. Of course you must act as a human in that realm, and whether or not you awaken to powers is something I cannot tell you. But, I can guarantee your immortality."

I crossed my arms over my chest, thinking. "I have to admit, this is definitely something I didn't plan for."

The Demon King turned to me, something resembling a look of embarrassment on his face. "I can't fathom how much trouble this mistake has put you through. As an apology from myself and the board, as well as in compliance with my previous agreement, I will revoke the extermination verdict on your hearing. And, out of respect for both the power of my son and the immense power your circumstances provide, I will give my blessing to you two and allow Kakeru to remain in his position as Crown Prince."

I looked to the Demon King. "If you're being this generous after everything I've heard about you, this must be a pretty big deal." I smiled and held out my hand. "But, you're the father of the man I love. So I thank you for your kindness, and I hope we get along well in the future."

The Demon King shook my hand. "Please take care of my son. He's difficult to handle, so I wish you the best.

That earned a laugh from those around us, and after a bit more discussion, we were allowed to all return to the Demon House.

Everyone sat in the living room quietly, still in shock from the nights events. It had taken forever to stop Eli from crying uncontrollably, and it had taken me some time to really process that death was no longer a certainty for me. As I sat, Eli resting on my felt shoulder, Kakeru gripped my right hand tightly.

"So, this isn't really the time to say it, but my birthday is day after tomorrow." I said. "I was planning to die before, so I haven't planned anything, but I can probably put together a nice little party."

"I'll bring the booze!" Eli exclaimed, suddenly chipper and excited.

I rolled my eyes at him. "First I need to find a venue. Also, starting tomorrow I'll go looking for an apartment and retrieve the documents from the lab signing over ownership."

"Why are you going to look for an apartment?" Meguru asked, smiling.

"We're giving you a place to stay until you get toasted." Haruhito added.

I smiled. "Well, I do need a place to stay that's close to my work. Since I'm living, I'd like to continue my career. I use most of my salary to fund Shinkou Research Labs and the general hospital, so I'd rather not have to cut their funding if I don't have to."

"Oh, you actually told them." Eli said.

"Well, I don't have a reason to hide anything." I replied. "Especially now, since everything is done and over with."

Eli grabbed my face, pulling it close to his. "Sophie, will you finally, after fourteen years, allow me to get you wasted? Please, Soph, this is all I've ever wanted in life."

"Doesn't alcohol taste gross though? Like, really gross?" I replied, hoping I could avoid answering the question.

"Soph, there's a reason I drink rosé like theres no tomorrow. It tastes like fruit and flowers mixed together. Hard alcohol tastes awful but some beers and wine are actually good. Please,, I'm begging you."

"I don't know." I replied, pulling my face away from him. "I don't like not being in control of my body. Give me some time to think about it."

Eli pouted. "You're no fun. You totally shredded the fake ID I got you in college, and you freaked out when I brought weed into the dorm. It's legal now!"

"It's punishable by several years in prison in this country, but even then weed wasn't at all legal in America. The last thing I wanted was for you, who was drunk and underage, to get arrested for weed possession."

"I wasn't underage! I'm four hundred-"

"Eli. You literally created an identity and disguised your appearance to pretend you were the same age as me. Legally, you were in the wrong."

He sighed, finally relenting. "You're such a buzzkill. The dealer liked you, and he offered me shrooms for free in exchange for your number. I almost did it."

I grabbed him by the ear and glared at him. "If you had given that slimy son of a bitch my phone number, I would have reported you and him to campus police. You knew, and you damn well _should_ know I don't fuck around like that."

Finally, considering I had scared him out of his mind, Eli gave up.

"Now," I said, standing and releasing Kakeru's hand, "I'm going to take a shower. I'll discuss a few other little logistical things over dinner tonight. For lunch, Eli's buying pizza."

"Excuse me, I'm doing what now?" Eli asked, his tone reverting to normal.

"I want pepperoni! Love you!" I called from the stairs, closing and locking the bathroom door behind me.

By the time I went back downstairs, the demons had already torn into what I counted as ten boxes of pizza. Four were already empty, and the demons, including Eli, were individually tearing apart their own separate boxes.

"Did you all really devour ten boxes of pizza and not even leave poor old me a slice?" I asked, feeling hurt.

Eli smiled, and produced two boxes from beneath the decorative couch cushion. "Two pepperoni pizzas for her majesty."

I was going to question why Eli had gotten me two boxes when I often struggled to finish the last two slices of just one box, but just as I opened my mouth I felt a hunger like I had never felt before. It clawed deep in my stomach, and the only thought that consumed my head was that of me shoving pizza into my mouth.

I finished two boxes of pizza in a record fifteen minutes, and after I chugged an entire two-liter of Coca-Cola I was finally able to think clearly. I looked at Eli, who had an unusually big smile on his face, and asked, "What the hell did I just do?"

He smiled. "Now that you're an angel, you need to eat like I do. Since you're more powerful than me, actually, you probably have to eat more."

I looked to my hands. "I can already feel the money slipping from my hands and into the pockets of Dominos delivery drivers."

"It's a worthy cause. Garlic crust is my salvation in times of triumph." Eli replied, patting my back.

"Oh, that reminds me. Eli, are you still adamant about not co-starring with me? I swear, I'll submit my script if you promise to be Noah."

"You wrote a movie script?" Kakeru asked.

"I did, mostly based off of Eli and me in college. But Eli is being a little bi-"

"Soph, honey, I'd rather die than say 'flaming queen' on camera. I'm not going to be known for that."

I tried my hardest to hold in my laughter. "Please. It was the funniest thing I'd ever seen in my life. I don't care if you're actually drunk for the scene. Eli, I'm begging you."

His eyes shifted, and he leaned in close to me. "If you let me get you wasted, I'll do the movie."

"Eli. Please don't make me do this."

"Oh no, I'm making you. I have no qualms about showing my drunk ass to the world if I get to see yours in private." he replied, smiling.

I bit my nail, and after contemplating for several minutes I drew up a compromise. "If you do the movie, I'll let you get me drunk once, in your home, with phones locked in my safe until I'm sober enough to unlock it. And I will reserve the right to refuse alcohol indefinitely after that." I pursed my lips. "Only you and Kakeru can be in the home. Deal?" I asked, cautiously putting out my hand.

Eli took it with a swiftness, shaking it. "Deal. I'll hold you to it."

I stood from the couch, grabbing the empty pizza boxes as I walked to the kitchen. "By the way, Kakeru, we're going out tonight. I was given a free reservation at that restaurant Satoru pretended to work at because you ruined it for me, so you're taking me out on a date to make up for it."

"I'm doing what?"

I grabbed him by his tie, leaning over the back of the couch and pulling his face close to mine. "If you fuck this one up, I'll be mad at you. Eli can give you the details of what that's like."

Eli visibly shuddered. "I still have nightmares about the last time she was mad at me."

I smiled sweetly, releasing Kakeru. "Now, since I've eaten enough to make up for two days of not doing so, I'll be making up for the sleep I wasn't able to get last night. Kakeru, we'll be leaving at seven. For the rest of you, I'll have dinner delivered at six-thirty." I turned and walked towards the stairs, promptly changing into my pajamas and passing out.

…

When I woke, it was almost six. But, as my consciousness began to return, I realized that I was in Kakeru's bed, and he was holding me tightly to his chest as he scrolled on his cellphone.

"If you wanted to cuddle, you could've done it in my room." I said, startling him.

"The bed in your room is too small. Plus, it's more soundproofed in here." he said, smiling.

I rolled off the bed and stretched, avoiding his arms as he tried to pull me back onto the bed. "What do you think I booked the reservation for? It includes a room in the upper loft. Also, don't worry about condoms, I have an IUD." I said, winking at him before leaving the room.

"Eli, it's time to work!" I called down the stairs before returning to my room.

He was inside less than ten seconds later, walking in with me staring at my drawers in nothing but my underwear.

"What the hell kind of underwear are you wearing? I bought those nice ones for a reason." he said, visibly unimpressed.

I looked in the mirror, unsure. "Well, Kakeru hasn't seen them yet, but I would like something just a, little more… risky I guess?"

Eli didn't respond, and when I turned back to him, he looked as if he'd seen a ghost.

"Is that weird?" I asked, a wave of self-consciousness making me doubt myself. "I guess he wouldn't like it. I mean, I'm not really experienced with this stuff so-"

A bag was dangled in front of my face, a Victoria's Secret label plastered across it. I grabbed it and pulled out what I could only describe as a strappy leotard with black lace and close to ninety percent of the actual leotard missing.

Eli smiled. "You know how the fashion show just passed? Well, this is hot off the runway from the Downtown Angel collection. Might I add the title of it is, 'Very Sexy Strappy Chantilly Lace Teddy', which I think will totally make Kakeru lose all the blood in his head."

"Chantilly?" I repeated, confused.

He waved his hand, replying, "It's a city in France. But hurry, put it on so I can do your makeup."

"I really don't think I have the hips for this. Do you see how high cut this is?" I said, removing my underwear. I then slipped on the teddy, and because I had no idea what I was doing Eli had to help me make sure all the straps were in place and that I hadn't torn the lace trying to get it on.

"Holy _shit_ Soph! I might just turn for you." Eli teased, poking my boob.

I slapped his hand away, blushing. "You're totally taking advantage of me actually giving a shit for once." I said, looking back to the mirror. "That's a really small clip. What if it comes undone and I have a loose string between my ass cheeks?"

Eli nearly choked, his face turning red from laughter. "Babe, I paid seventy dollars for this thing and a model literally strutted down the runway with her hips swinging. I think you'll be fine. Now hurry, let's pick a dress and get started."

To wear to the restaurant, I chose a pair of strappy black heels, boosting me about five inches, and an understated black knit dress. It had no sleeves and a slightly raised collar, hiding all of the straps that came over my shoulders and close to my collarbones. For my makeup Eli went with a simple, dewy look with a slight focus on the eyes, and a nude lip. My hair was pulled back into a sleek, styled bun with faux bangs sweeping to the right.

"Alright Soph, are you ready to get some dick?"

I slapped him on the chest, wrinkling my face. "Don't be so crass, Eli. I'm much more ready to tear apart some cheesecake and fancy ass bread rolls."

He laughed, and turned to the clock. "The Doordash guy should be here in five minutes, so you hurry and paint your nails. They should be dry by seven if you hold them in front of the fan."

I waved him off and grabbed the black nail polish Ace had left me. "Go let everyone else know. I just got a text he's almost here."

Eli exited the room, and I looked at myself in the mirror one last time. As I envisioned the teddy underneath, I wondered if it would be more of a hassle to remove than it was worth, especially if I looked as bad as I thought I did through Kakeru's eyes.

As I sat absentmindedly in front of the fan, I watched an annoyingly long vine compilation to make the time go a bit faster. But I could only stand so many 'I don't need no degree to be a clothing hanger' and 'stooop you almost made me drop my croissant's before laughing my ass off at 'I don't have enough money for chicken nuggets'.

They also put in that stupid singing kermit vine that almost made me laugh so hard I messed up the eye makeup Eli had so carefully put on, but I was able to breathe deeply and avoid ruining his work and facing his wrath.

Finally, when it hit six fifty-five, I felt brave enough to venture out into the living room holding a small ruffled satin clutch Eli had somehow hidden away in my closet like the teddy, dress, and shoes. The other demons were devouring nearly seventy dollars worth of KFC when I reached the living room, and Eli snatched an entire bucket of chicken for himself.

"So, how much of a fool am I going to make of myself by ordering way too many dishes? Considering I needed two pizzas and a two-liter of soda just to think straight."

The demons smiled. "How much are you willing to shell out for a full stomach?" Haruhito asked.

I smiled. "Well, considering I left the restaurant in a fit of rage because my dinner was ruined, the restaurant is willing to cover up to five grand in food and wine."

Satoru pouted. "You're lucky that wasn't my cover job. I got fired because you threw a fit instead of swooning like you were supposed to."

I crossed my arms and asked, "What the hell do you idiots do when you're trying to toast a lesbian? Or a man? Are sex appeal and money the only things you bank on?"

"We watched you live your lonely, sneaky life meeting your editor at six o'clock in the morning, moving between your post-production stuff, and breaking into places. We figured you were starved for attention." Shiki said, his mouth stuffed with gravy-lathered biscuits.

"Unfortunately Eli and I are practically married. If I was a man he'd never leave me alone." I rolled my eyes. "Hell, I'm not a man and he still doesn't leave me alone!"

Eli got huffy, replying, "Well who's the one who chases off all my potential boyfriends? I'd be drowning in dick if you-"

"You'd be infected with STI's if I let you fuck everyone you've wanted to." I replied, fully intending to embarrass him. "You also _only_ shoot for straight men, and I'm never dealing with your heartbreak again if I don't have to. I can't stand your sobbing voicemails and incoherent drunk texts while I'm sleeping."

"I have _not_ done that."

"Oh yeah? Let me just look through my voicemail archive-"

"Oh, Kakeru! Just in time!" Eli exclaimed, cutting me off. "Look at how beautiful Sophie is! Doesn't the mature, sleek look suit her so well?" he said, turning me to face Kakeru.

I brushed his hands off my shoulders, smiling at Kakeru. "Our car is here. Are you ready?"

He cocked his head, confused. "Car?"

"The restaurant sent me one." I replied, linking my arm with his. "Now hurry, I'm starving!"

…

I flopped onto the cushy comforter, nearly in tears because of how delicious all the food I had eaten was. Amazing pasta, tender steak, fresh seafood, and the most amazing cheesecake I had ever eaten in my life. Kakeru stood beside the bed, his blazer hung up on the coat rack by the door. He was removing his tie, and I sat up from the bed.

"I don't know if I can forgive you for depriving me from this food last time. I'm in tears here." I said, smiling at him.

"Sophie, I want you."

I stared at him for a second, a bit shocked at his forwardness. "I didn't know me stuffing my face with a forkful of pasta was sexy." I replied.

Kakeru dropped his tie and kicked off his shoes, pushing me back onto the comforter as he kissed me. His lips were bitter, which I assumed was from the red wine he'd drank with his meal. His hands held my shoulders, my face, and my hips as he passionately kissed me, and finally as he moved to my neck he worked at the hook and zipper of my dress.

"K-Kakeru, wait!" I exclaimed, pushing him back a bit. "Eli bought me something, and I really don't think I can pull it off, so if I look stupid-"

"Don't be ridiculous, Sophie." Kakeru said, unzipping my dress and pulling it off in one swift eyes scanned my lace and strap covered body, an audible snap reaching my ears. "You're so sexy I can't stand it."

He attacked me viciously, his tongue circling my mouth as he grabbed my breasts, by behind, and grinded into me. I was losing myself, and before I was completely gone, I heard him chuckle. He grabbed my face, forcing me to look at him as he growled, "You said you like it rough, right?"

I looked at him, and because I wasn't thinking clearly, I smirked and said, "Just fuck me already."

…

I was laid onto the mattress, my face contorting in pain as I attempted to roll over.

"I'm sorry, Sophie. I don't know what came over me." Kakeru said, sliding under the covers to cuddle me.

"You broke my back, asshole."

"I'm sorry. But was it good?" he teased, wrapping his arms around me.

"Maybe when my back isn't broken I can evaluate." I said, pulling the blankets closer to my face. "I mean, did you really have to keep going in the shower? I got facial cleanser in my eyes."

He kissed my shoulder, replying, "I couldn't help it. You're just too sexy."

I rolled my eyes, wondering if I'd really be able to keep up with him if it was like this. "Goodnight."

Kakeru nuzzled his face in my neck, squeezing me closer to him. "Goodnight, Sophie. I love you."

"I love you, too." I replied, feeling a slight smile creep up on my face. "Asshole."


End file.
